Moonlit Knights
by YamiChaos27
Summary: An apprentice swordsman from Radiant Garden is stranded on a new world, the Land of Twin Moons, and is left with nothing to fight for. A chance meeting with a Dark Knight and a young Summoner offers him an opportunity to find himself again. Watch as the Rōnin fights through a world wide crisis to regain the hope he lost. Spinoff of Kristen Verne's KH Universe.
1. Dark Knight & Summoner

**A/N: Hello, everyone. If you've been follow Kristen Verne's KH Universe, including the story I wrote for her for her birthday, you should know about my OC, Sasuke Kazekiri. Those of you who don't know, it'll be explained in this story. With Kris's approval, I decided to write my own spinoff story for this character, seeing how he hasn't really been fleshed out that much yet. What I'm doing is somewhat similar to Kris's Training Series, in that it focuses on only world, hence why it's labeled as a crossover. This will probably be a lot longer than any of Kris Training Stories though. This world is based on Final Fantasy IV(4), my personal favorite in the main series. I don't know whether or not I'll be doing an other worlds/stories for Sasuke in the future.**

* * *

 **The Dark Knight and the Summoner**

* * *

 _Kairi: "Say Sasuke. I've been meaning to ask you something. Where have you been after the fall of our home? I'm amazed that I hadn't seen you until after Xehanort's defeat."_

 _Sasuke: "I was traveling through other worlds. I've been on many adventures, training myself to become stronger, possibly even surpass your father. Although, I was also hoping you'd turn up somewhere along the way, but you never did. If I had known Radiant Garden had been recovered, I would've returned sooner. And maybe I would've joined you on you're quest. It was actually that universal wide announcement that finally prompted me to return home, especially after hearing your name, Kairi."_

 _Sora: "I see. So what kind of adventures have you been on? I really want to hear about what you've been doing!"_

 _Sasuke: "Oh, I don't really know if any of them are worth telling... Actually scratch that. If there is one adventure that's worth telling it's my very first one."_

 _Pith: "Really?"_

 _Sasuke: "Yeah, as it was the adventure that picked me back up from a state of hopelessness."_

 _Patria: "Wow! So cool! Please tell us!"_

 _Sasuke: "Alright, but it's gonna be a long one."_

 _Kairi: "You've got plenty of time. You're on vacation after all."_

 _Sasuke: "True."_

* * *

I was once a soldier in training in a place called Radiant Garden. A fifteen year old prodigy swordsman, as I was often told. I was the apprentice of the greatest swordsman I've ever known, Kaname Mae. He taught me a lot: the art of a sword, what it means to be a soldier and a man, what it means protect what you cherish. Back then, what I had to protect was what little family I had. My mother, Momo, had fallen ill in the last three years and had been bedridden for months, but despite that she was always able to take things in stride, and gave me her support. I never knew my father, as he died before I was born. But Master Kaname was the closest thing I _ever_ had to a father. His wife, Rimi, was very accepting of me, even helped me take care of my mother from time to time. And their little girl, Kairi, was like a little sister, though due to my training and taking care of my ill mother, I was unable to play with her very often, unlike another boy she saw as a surrogate brother. Lea Fahrenheit got to spend more time with her than I ever did, which I admit made me a little jealous. As such, he and I were sort of like brothers, though we were the kind that disagreed a lot. I was content with the way things were. And I thoroughly enjoyed every second of my life. That is...until tragedy struck. My home world fell to darkness. My mother was killed in the collapsing of our house. Master Kaname and Rimi died from sword wounds. Lea and Kairi were nowhere to be found. And now, through means I can't fathom, I found myself stranded on another world entirely.

It was a world called the Land of Twin Moons. It was fittingly named, because unlike back home, which had one moon in the sky, this world had two, one of them having a barely noticeable tint of red. I awoke on the coast of a desert continent, found by a trade sailor who had just docked. He led me to the nearest settlement, an oasis village in the middle of the desert, Kaipo, a small village with a huge lake right next to it. The look of this village told me that this world was a bit... primitive compared to home. It had been four days since my arrival. I spent those days wandering aimlessly around the village, reliving the horrors of that fateful night. And more importantly, wondering what I should do. I mean, what _could_ I do? I lost everything that I had to protect. I was stranded in a new world with no means of leaving. I was essentially a rōnin now, a wandering samurai who had lost his master. Needless to say, I had lost motivation to do anything. I had thought about resuming my training to become stronger, as I had vowed to my master's grave. But where do I start? Where do I go from here? I was a hopeless wreck.

Now I lied down in a bed in the Kaipo Inn on the evening of the fourth day. I had always found it odd how one room had eight beds, but whatever. As I lied there, my thoughts turned to little Kairi; I couldn't help but wonder where she was, or if she was even alright. But regardless of what became of her, I was convinced that I was never going to see her again. Soon, my attention was grabbed by new guests in the room. Guests that, little did I know, were going to help restore my hope in life. There was a figure clad in dark armor. His intimidating appearance alone put me a little on edge. My sixth sense wasn't as in tuned as Master Kaname's, but I could sense a dark aura around him. I was surprised that I could already see the darkness in a person's heart, but then I did a double take and realized that it wasn't really emanating from his heart, but rather from that armor he wore and that sword strapped to his back.

Then I saw what he had in his arms, or rather who. It was a little girl with emerald green hair decorated with a hairpin. She wore what looked like a dark blue leotard, a yellow uneven skirt, a white short cape around her shoulders, pink bracelets, and yellow slippers with strings that tied around her ankles. She appeared to be out cold. The Dark Knight didn't seem to acknowledge my presence, more focused on the girl. I watched as he laid her on a bed at the other end of the room and sat on the bed next to hers. I stayed quiet, pretending to be asleep, not wanting to draw attention to myself unless I needed to.

Discreetly keeping one eye open, I saw the Dark Knight remove his helmet, revealing shoulder length, snow white hair and blue eyes. What I saw next surprised me. As he looked at the girl, I saw a look of sorrow and regret in his eyes. Soon I saw the girl stir, her blue eyes opened as she looked at the knight with eye filled with grief and resentment.

"Are you okay?" the knight spoke gently. The girl didn't answer, just glared. "My name is Cecil Harvey," the knight continued, "What's yours?" Again no answer. This time the girl just turned away from the him, causing him to look down in shame. "I'm so sorry about what happened to your mother. I honestly didn't know that would happen. I understand if you never forgive me. But will you at least let me protect you? To atone for my sin?"

It was clear to me that something happened between these two. And apparently this girl's mother was involved. Looking at the Dark Knight, Cecil, I could see the pain on his face. You'd expect Dark Knights to not care much for anything. It just goes to show that appearances can be deceiving. It seemed to me that underneath that darkened armor was a gentle soul. Still, I remained wary of him just in case. I had half a mind to speak up, but I decided against it. I figured whatever happened was none of my business. After the both them seemed to have fallen asleep, I decided that it was about time I got some shuteye as well, so I did.

But later we were all woken up by a loud crash at the door. In came three soldiers clad in red armor, plus one more clad in green armor. Cecil had climbed out of his bed as the soldiers approached him, walking passed me, again no one acknowledging my presence.

"So this is where we find you, Dark Knight Cecil," said the one in green armor.

"What are you doing here?" asked Cecil.

"The King of Baron has decreed that all Summoners of Mist are too dangerous to let live," the soldier stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"What!?" Cecil shouted before taking a quick glance at the girl, who was frightened by that statement.

"Hand over the girl, Cecil," the soldier said coldly. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. They were here to kill that little girl? I didn't know what a Summoner was, but who in their right minds would harm an innocent child? Needless to say, I was disgusted by these men, and this king they served.

Cecil then drew his dark sword. "I won't let you lay a finger on her!"

"You'd betray your king?"

"Betray him?!" Cecil put his helmet back on. "Any king who'd wish for this is no king of mine!" That statement erased any doubt I had about this man.

"Then you leave us no choice. We'll have to dispose of you both!"

Having heard enough I finally stood up, tired of just sitting there doing nothing. Drew my sword, a katana that has a slightly wider blade than normal, christened Moon Cutter. This got everyone's attention.

"What the...Who the heck are you?" the green armored captain asked me.

"I don't entirely know what's going on," I told him, "but the killing of innocent children does not sit well with me."

The captain laughed. "And what does a kid like you think he's doing meddling in affairs that don't concern him? You think you're big stuff just because you carry a sword? How delusional!"

Predictable. Of course he'd underestimate me due to my age. Still, this was my first time in a fight to the death, unless you counted fending off a few mindless black creatures with glowing yellow eyes. But this was against a human, and a supposedly superior fighter. I knew couldn't afford to be careless. "We'll see who's delusion!"

"Attack!" the captain shout. The soldiers charged at Cecil while I attacked the captain. I started clashing swords with him left and right. All the while I could feel the adrenaline pumping in my veins. I knew that one wrong move could be my last. This man was naturally strong than me. I had to use wit to win this fight. After we locked blade, I managed to slip through his defense an slash him in his unarmored shin. But that only seem to tick him off. As I attempt to strike again, he swung at my sword so hard that the force left me wide open. Next he brought his sword down on me, aiming to cut me in two. I pulled back fast enough to avoid that fate, but the blade caught me on the right side of my face, down my eye. Feeling liquid running down my face, I kept my right eye shut so the blood wouldn't get in. I stopped in my tracks and pointed Moon Cutter at my opponent. Using a technique Master Kaname taught me, I charged energy into my sword, focusing on sharpening the edges. Then I quickly thrusted forward, shouting, **"Breakthrough!"** He attempted to defend with his sword, but my attack broke his sword, pierced through his armor, and stabbed through his heart. After a few seconds, the captain's body fell limp.

Right as I pulled my sword out of his chest, I heard Cecil shout, "Leave her alone!" I looked over to his battle. I saw one of the soldiers dead on the ground, and the other two still fighting. I saw a lot of dark energy gathering around his sword. Something told me I should probably crouch down right now, and so I did. Then Cecil swung his sword as he shouted, **"Dark Wave!"** and a wave of dark energy erupted, blasting the soldiers back, one of them flying over my ducked head, shattering their armor, and leaving them a bloody mess. They were as good as dead.

After it was over, I stood back up, holding the wounded right side of my face, panting heavily as the events sunk in. My first fight to the death, my first battle wound, and most of all, my first kill. It was incredibly overwhelming. I felt sick to my stomach. _So this is what real battle felt like,_ I thought. _So this is what it's like to take a life._ Thankfully, Master Kaname had already given me advice on how to deal with the emotional stress of a first kill. As long as I remember why I killed, to protect an innocent life, I should be okay within a couple days. I looked over at Cecil who was kneeling on the floor, panting from exhaustion after that dark attack of his. It must've taken a lot out of him. This man clearly wasn't meant to use the power of darkness. It made me wonder if his status as a Dark Knight was really his choice.

I looked at the girl, who sat in her bed, looking down. Soon she hop out of bed and walk up to Cecil. "Are you okay?" she finally spoke. "I'm sorry I got you in trouble."

"Don't be," replied Cecil as removed his helmet. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. But, I won't let anything happen to you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The girl finally smiled, albeit weakly. It was clear it was gonna take some time for her to adjust. "I'm Rydia."

"Rydia. Nice to meet you." Cecil then turned to me. "You there. What's your name?"

"Sasuke...Sasuke Kazekiri," I answer.

"Sasuke. I want to thank you for you assistance. You're pretty skilled with a sword for someone your age."

"Thanks. I was trained by the best. Though I will admit, that was the first time I've ever been in a fight to the death."

Cecil then looked concerned. "So was that you're first kill then?" Good to know he was considerate.

"Yeah, but don't worry about me. I was taught a good trick to help me deal with it. As long as it was to save a life, I should be okay."

The girl then walked up to me, grabbing the arm that was holding my face. "Can I see?" she asked. I was reluctant at first, but just looking at this girl, somehow she reminded me of Kairi. After a few seconds, I remove my hand from my wound, my right eye still closed. Out of the inner corner of my left eye, I could see Rydia looking at my wound with great concern. _Is it that bad?_ I thought. "Here let me help," she said as she put her hands together. After a few seconds she reached her palms toward my face and said, " **Cure.** " There was a green light, and I could feel the pain subsiding. Once the light ended, I could see she still looked concerned. "Sorry, I'm not really good at white magic. I stopped the bleeding, but...I'm afraid that's gonna leave a scar."

I took my sword and looked at my reflection on the blade. Feeling safe to do so, I opened my right eye to get a good look. Indeed there was a great cut that ran from above my right eyebrow down to the bottom of my cheek. That would definitely leave a scar. I was lucky the blade only barely nicked my eyelid, otherwise I would've lost my eye. Looking at it for a few seconds, I decided that it didn't look that bad. In fact I kind of liked it. It reminded me not to get careless in battle. It would also show others that I've faced real combat.

I was brought out of my thoughts when Rydia said, "I'm sorry you got hurt because of me."

I saw the look of regret on her face, something I just couldn't bear to see. So I decided to try and cheer her up. "Hey, don't worry about it," I said. "My master always taught me to put innocent lives above my own." I then chuckled a little as I patted the girl on the head. "Besides, what's a scratch on my face, anyways? At least I didn't lose an arm or a leg. That would've ruined my career for sure." The girl seemed to brighten up a little.

"That's an interested sword you have, by the way," said Cecil as he stood up. "I've never seen a katana with a blade that wide."

"It's called Moon Cutter," I replied as I sheathed the sword. "It's...one of a kind."

"So tell me. What brings a young swordsman like you to a quiet little village like Kaipo?"

I was hesitant to answer at first. I thought it unwise to reveal that I was from another world, but I didn't want to outright lie to them. So I decide to be vague while hopefully being satisfactory. "No reason in particular." I looked down to the ground. "To be honest...I'm not sure what I'm doing right now. You could say that I've recently become something like a rōnin."

"A rōnin?" asked Rydia.

"You mean...you lost your master?" asked Cecil.

"Not just my master though," I answered. "I lost everything I knew." I looked out the window, at the night sky. "I don't really want to talk about it. All I can say is that I've got nothing left. And now I don't know what to do with my life. I've considered continuing my training, like my master would've wanted me to. But without his guidance,...I don't even know where to begin."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Cecil said sympathetically.

"So you lost something too." Rydia said, prompting me to glance at here to see her looking down again.

I then looked to Cecil and asked, "So what's your story? What was the deal with those soldiers?"

Cecil crossed his arm in thought before saying, "I guess I should start at the beginning. As a Dark Knight, I use to serve under the king of Baron. I was the captain of Baron's airship force, the Red Wings. My loyalty to him...stemmed from the fact that he took me in as an orphan, and raised me as his own." I could see where he was coming from there. I felt something similar for Master Kaname. "Back then, he was a kind and just ruler. He really was a good person. That's is, until recently when he suddenly changed."

"Suddenly?" I asked.

"I don't know what happened to him, but he suddenly became greedy and ruthless. It showed when he ordered us to retrieve the Crystal of Water from Mysidia... by any mean necessary." Cecil looked down in shame. "Which meant taking it by force should they refuse to hand it over. What's worse is the mages didn't even raise an arm. They put up no resistance. It was a slaughter. So many were killed meaninglessly, all for one Crystal. I was a coward. A coward who couldn't disobey orders he knew he ought not follow. I guess such was the price for being a Dark Knight. After I handed the Crystal to the King, I worked up the nerve to question his intensions, but all that did was get me demoted; stripped of my command of the Red Wings. Even my best friend, Kain, got in trouble when he defended me."

It just didn't add up. How could such a kind sounding ruler turn so ruthless in the blink of an eye? And treating his own adopted son like that? Something fishy was going here. Something told me there was a lot about this picture that none of us were seeing.

"The king then ordered me and Kain to deliver a Carnelian Signet to the Village of Mist, and slay the Eidolon that guarded the Mist Cave."

I saw Rydia frown at that. I was confused as to what an Eidolon was. "Eidolon?" I asked.

"A powerful mystical being said to come from a far away land," Cecil answered. "Eidolons come in many shapes, or so I'm told. The one guarding the cave was a Mist Dragon, a dragon capable of transforming itself into mist. We encountered it at the end of the cave, and it gave us a warning to turn back now or face death. Not wanting to disobey the king, we ignored its warning, and slew the dragon,...a choice we would later regret."

I saw Rydia walk back to her bed and sat in it while curled into a ball. I could see this was reaching into touchy territory for her.

"The moment we arrived in Mist, the Carnelian Signet suddenly glowed and without warning a pack of explosive monsters called Bombs came out of it and started burning down the village." Cecil then clutched his fist. "I couldn't believe what was happening. We were sent to Mist so we could burn it to the ground!" I agreed with his disgusted tone, it was just barbaric! "But, that's not the worst part." He looked to Rydia. "In the midst of the fire, we found a poor little girl crying over her mother's dead body. And it was then we learned a terrible truth."

"What truth?" I asked.

Cecil returned his gaze at me. "You see, Mist is inhabited by a tribe of Summoners, whom are capable of conjuring up Eidolons. I don't really know how it works, but apparently when a Summoner summons an Eidolon, their souls are linked somehow. And unfortunately, when a summoned Eidolon dies... so does the Summoner who summoned it."

Hearing that, I froze in shock. Right away, I knew exactly where this was going. Looking at Rydia, who now had tears running down her cheeks, the tension between these two made sense now. "The Mist Dragon you slew in the cave,... was her mother's," I said with great sadness.

Cecil nodded. "By killing the Eidolon, we had unknowingly killed her mother in the process. We realized then that the king had wish for us to slaughter the Summoners." Genocide, a cruel excuse for the mass murder of a specific group of people. This was unforgivable. "It was then that I lost all respect for the king I had served. Kain and I decided we should leave Baron behind and get out of there, but we couldn't just leave the girl there, so we decided to take her with us. But, understandably, knowing what we did, she wanted nothing to do with us. In her rage she had summoned a giant-like Eidolon that then created a massive earthquake."

I remembered feeling a great tremor earlier that afternoon. Now I know what caused it.

"I blacked out after that. I awoke on the plain a mile way from the village, on the other side of a great landslide. I found the girl nearby, out cold but otherwise okay." The dark knight looked down in sorrow. "Kain, however, was nowhere to be found. I hope he's alright. I had to take the girl someplace safe, where she could rest. So I brought her to the closest village I could reach, Kaipo. The rest you know."

It was a lot take in. I regretted asking him to tell me. To say they had it rough would've been an understatement. "I'm sorry all that happened,...to the both of you," I could only say.

"Never again will I take part in such heinous tasks!" Cecil declared. "I will not stain my hands with the blood of anymore innocents."

"So what are you gonna do now?"

Cecil thought for a second. "I guess we'll stay here for a while longer, give us a little time to adjust to our circumstances."

"I wouldn't stay too long though," I advised. "Who knows when more Baron soldiers will show up?"

"True," Cecil replied. "I'll give us three days tops. Then we'll start heading north. Maybe we can find refuge in Damcyan. What about you?"

I paused to think. I still wasn't sure. "Like I said before: I don't really know what I should do right now."

I thought and I thought, until Cecil said, "You're welcome to come with us if you want."

To say I was stunned at his offer would've been an understatement. "A-are you sure? An apprentice swordsman like me?"

"Why not?" Cecil smiled at me. "You've proven you can hold your own in battle. I could even help you with your training along the way. Besides, you look like you need a new direction to go. I'm simply offering one to you. And hopefully you'll be able find the answer as we go."

I thought about it for a moment. He had a point. It sure seemed better than standing in the same spot doing nothing but waiting for something to happen. My train of thought was broken when I felt something grab my wrist. I looked to see Rydia, who had stopped crying, looking at me with a smile on her face. That smile...reminded me of the smile little Kairi use to give me. I could also see a look of pleading in her eyes. After looking at that face, it was impossible to refuse. I put my hand over my heart, a gesture I use as a sign of respect, and said, "Dark Knight Cecil Harvey, Summoner Rydia, I would be honored to join you on your journey."

"Glad to hear it," said Cecil. "But while we're still here in this village, I suggest we get you a more suitable traveling attire. Those look too worn out and unfit for battle."

I looked down at my navy blue training suit. I hadn't noticed until now how ripped and torn it was. Yeah, I was definitely gonna need to get some new duds first thing in the morning.

* * *

 **A/N: And there's the first chapter. I don't know how often I'll update this but I'll try my best. Also anyone who can guess where I got the title of this story gets a virtual cookie.**

 **Please review. Let me know what you think.**


	2. Hurry to Damcyan

**A/N: A little disappointed at the lack of feedback(other than the one that counts I mean), but then how many people actually check crossover stories, especially Kingdom Hearts crossovers.**

 **Just a little fun fact, if Sasuke were actually in Final Fantasy IV then his battle commands would be as follows:**

 **Attack: Standard attack with weapon.**

 **Sonic Wave: Unleash an energy wave that deals projectile damage but at 75% attack power.**

 **Breakthrough: Attack with only 25% power but ignores enemy defense.**

 **Counter: Counterattack any physical attack taken with double the power.**

 **Items: Use an item in the party's inventory.**

* * *

 **Hurry to Damcyan  
**

* * *

 _Kairi: "So that's how you got that scar? I have to admit, it does look good on you."_

 _Sasuke: "Yeah. A little memento of my first real battle. A battle I not only survived it, but won."_

 _ _Sora: "This Cecil guy sounds like someone Riku would get along with quite well."__

 _Pith: "I feel sorry for that Rydia girl."_

 _Patria: "Yeah, I can't believe that king would do something like that! What kind of a king was he?!"_

 _Sasuke: "There was an... interesting reason for his actions. But let's not get ahead of the story now. There's still plenty to tell before we get to that."_

* * *

I looked at my reflection in a mirror at the inn. I saw my neck length black hair, green eyes, as well as the new scar on my face. I also saw the new attire the Cecil was generous enough to buy me. First things I got were cloths, a black sleeveless shirt, a white glove on my right hand, black pants with two red straps crossing each other below the waist, and black leather boots. Cecil also suggested I get some armor. I didn't want too much, as I want a little more mobility. There wasn't any shops that sold armor in Kaipo, but luckily there was a traveling merchant that did, and in my size too. I was given an sliver vest with brass lining, an iron gauntlet for my left arm, and bronze leg guards. Looking at my new getup, added with Moon Cutter strapped to my back, this look seemed to fit my new status as a Rōnin.

I wasn't the only one Cecil bought something for. He also bought Rydia a magic rod. As a Summoner, Rydia is entitled to learning magic, and a rod would help her better channel her spells, especially black magic. This rod could also throw magic arrows in case she was low on magic. I asked her about her summoning abilities, and she told me that she couldn't really summon Eidolons yet, not intentionally at least. Apparently, it was an accident that she had summoned Titan before, invoked from pure rage. She was, however, able to summon lesser creatures, like chocobos, goblins, bombs, Mindflayers and Cockatrices, which thankfully don't have the same life risking rules summoning Eidolons have.

We spent three more days in this village. Cecil had sparred with me a few times, as well as gave me some helpful counseling on my first kill. He told me a bit more about his life back in Baron, particularly his friends. There was Kain Highwind (wow I wonder if he's distantly related to Cid Highwind back home), his best friend who trained to become a Dragoon like his father. He was a calm and collected man whom Cecil could depend on in just about anything. There was also Rosa Joanna Farrell, a childhood friend who studied to become a White Mage. Many consider her to be the most beautiful young woman in Baron, and she was a kind and gentle soul. The way he talked about her made me wonder if he had feelings for her. And then there was Cid Pollendina, the Baron's airship engineer (wow another Cid who happens to be an engineer, what a coincidence). He was quite an eccentric and stubborn old man who can get the job done, even if he collapsed from exhaustion afterwards.

We also gathered some interesting information, like sightings of eight water serpents in the Underground Waterway on the way to Damcyan Castle, and how the daughter of the villages resident Sage, Tellah, ran away with a bard to the Castle. But none trumped the info I picked up. Late afternoon on the third day, I was doing some supply gathering when I overheard a rumor that I had a feeling Cecil needed to know. I ran up to him while he was watching Rydia practicing the blizzard spell.

"Cecil!" I shouted getting there attention.

"What is it, Sasuke?" asked Cecil.

I stopped and took a second to catch my breath. "I think you should know,...that just heard that,...earlier this morning,...a woman from Baron...was found passed out...on the outskirts of the village."

From the look on Cecil's face, I could tell he was worried; hoping that this woman was not who he thought she was. I had the same feeling. "Do you know where she is?" he asked a bit distressed.

"I heard the one who found her took her to his house on the eastern most side of the village." I told him.

I then lead them to the house the I was pointed to. On the way there I could see the Cecil was doing his best to keep himself together and Rydia was looking at him with a worried expression. We arrived at the house. Cecil took a couple of deep breaths and open the face plate of his helmet before knocking on the door. It was answered by an old woman.

"Oh, hello!" she greeted. "May I help you?"

"Sorry to bother you," said Cecil, "but we heard a young woman from Baron was found and was brought here."

"Ah yes," she said, "we found her unconscious outside the village." She looked down. "The poor girl has been inflicted with Desert Fever."

"Desert Fever?" I asked confused to what that was.

"A condition that can happen when one enters the desert under great fatigue. The heat causes a stroke and sandy terrain causes motion sickness, until the victim collapses and becomes unresponsive to the world around them. The poor thing keeps muttering the name 'Cecil' over and over again." The moment she said that Cecil suddenly brushed passed the old woman and ran through the house.

"Cecil!" shouted Rydia as she ran after him.

I stepped in, turned to the old lady and said with a bow, "Sorry, Madam."

I followed them and I heard Cecil shout, "Rosa!" I caught up to see the Dark Knight kneeling toward a bed, where a young woman lied. Rydia stood next to him, looking at the woman with concern. There was also an old man in the room, watching from a far. "Rosa," Cecil said with with a pained tone. No doubt about it. It was just as we feared. It was indeed Cecil's childhood friend Rosa.

I walked over to the bed to take a closer look at her. She had blond hair tied into a ponytail aside from her bangs, and wore a gold ornamental headband with a red jewel on her forehead, a sliver tiara on top of her head, and red jeweled earrings. She also wore silver pauldrons with a long white cape, a sleeveless white top, long beige open finger-gloves, a purple bottom over white leggings, a brown belt with beige drapes on her hips, and purple ankle boots. Looking at her, it was easy to see why they called her the most beautiful young woman in Baron.

I saw her eyes crack open for a moment, revealing her turquoise eyes, as she muttered, "Cecil...Cecil, please...be alright..." Her eyes shut again. It was painful to see such a beauty in this condition. It reminded me of my mother, Momo, when her illness worsened to the point where she had been bedridden for months.

"You know this woman?" I heard the old man ask Cecil.

"Yes..." the Dark Knight answered. "She's...a very close friend of mine."

I turned to the old man and asked, "Is there anything we can do, sir?"

"Unfortunately," the old man answered, "the only way to cure desert fever is with a rare jewel called the Sand Pearl, found only in the cave where an antlion dwells. You'd need to go to Damcyan Castle and get permission to go and retrieve it."

I looked back at Cecil, who place one hand on hers, and the other hand on her cheek. I could see the pain written all over his face. "What was she doing here?" He asked quietly, as if to no one in particular.

I decided to answer him anyway. "My guess, she got worried about you and came to find you. The earthquake must've been what prompted her to come here." I watched as Cecil just sat there and stared at his ill friend. I had a feeling he was going to need a little motivation. "Cecil. You're not going to just sit here and do nothing, are you?"

"She you're girlfriend, isn't she?!" Rydia shouted bluntly. "You should be going out and getting that cure for her! Not moping around like a wimp!" I smirked at her outburst. This girl sure likes to tell it like it is.

I place my hand on Cecil's comfortingly. "Come on. We gotta go and get that Sand Pearl. Rosa will be fine until we get back. But right now, she needs you to do this for her."

After a moment, Cecil then stood up, and said, "Don't worry, Rosa. You'll feel better once we return." I smiled at that statement, and Rydia jumped for joy. Cecil then looked to the old man and said, "Will you please take care of her while we're gone?"

"Of course, sir," the old man replied. "I assure you she's in good hands."

"Thank you. We'll be back as soon as we can."

"I suggest you hurry. Who knows how long she has?"

We left the house and headed out of the village. Rydia was gracious enough to summon three chocobos to help us get to the entrance to the Underground Waterway. Once there, she dismisses them and we enter the cave. It was dark, but not too dark. I could see there were several holes in the ceiling letting light inside the cave. There was water everywhere; on the ground, pouring out of the walls. There were even bridges built in this cave.

We walked through the cave until we found an old man with silver hair and a beard, wearing blue glasses and a purple robe, and holding a staff. The moment he saw us he approached us, and said, "Could that be...? It is! That dark sword! Dark Knight I need your assistance!"

"What's wrong?" asked Cecil.

"My daughter was deceive by a wicked bard! I must get to Damcyan to retrieve her. We must hurry, for I sense an ill omen!" Well this sounded just like the rumors we heard in the village.

"You must be Sage Tellah!" said Cecil.

The old man nodded. "Indeed I am!" He then looked toward Rydia. "...That girl! She's a Summoner, isn't she?!"

"Y-yes," Rydia stuttered. "But how did you..."

Tellah cut her off. "I'm a Sage; I know magic potential when I see it. This is perfect! She can help too." He then turned to me. "You...There's something...peculiar about you. Something...out of this world." I wasn't sure what he meant by that. I wondered if he could somehow tell that I was from another world. After a moment of staring he just shook his head and said, "I must be getting senile. I can see you have a sword and look quite capable for one so young, so I guess you can help too. A giant monster lurks in the lake ahead. That devil even withstands magic. I think we can defeat it together, and then I can finally be on my way."

"We have urgent business in Damcyan as well." I told him.

"Then let us make haste."

"My name is Cecil."

"I'm Rydia."

"Sasuke."

"A pleasure to meet you all."

And so we made our way through the waterway, battling monsters all along the way. I was told that the number of monsters investing the world had exponentially increased as of late. Many believed this to be an omen. Possibly, an omen that something terrible was coming. If this is anything like the omen Master Kaname felt before the fall of Radiant Garden, I felt that I couldn't allow myself to stand on the sidelines and watch the same tragedy befall this world.

We walked into a small chamber that had what looked like eight crystalline pillars around the walls. There was also a campsite in the center complete with three rocks to sit on, a campfire set up, and a stack of spare firewood. "We'll rest here." said Tellah. "This magical field repels all monsters. Let's rest and prepare for the upcoming battle."

We set up camp in the chamber. Tellah and Cecil sat on separate smaller rocks while me and Rydia shared a wider rock, and the campfire was lit. It hadn't even been ten minutes and little Rydia fell asleep on my left shoulder.

"The girl's asleep already." said Tellah. "She must have been exhausted."

"I'm not surprised," I noted. "Girl as young as her is probably not use to traveling and fighting monsters."

"She's a Summoner from the village of Mist, correct?" asked Tellah

"Yes," answered Cecil, before looking down. "I made a mistake that took her mother's life."

"And you're watching over her to atone for that mistake," stated Tellah. Cecil nodded in response. "She holds great potential. With proper training, she'll be able to master many spells." Tellah looked at Rydia with smile. "Look at her. What a cute face... She reminds me of Anna at that age..."

"Your daughter, I presume?" I asked.

"Yes. She eloped with a Bard to Damcyan because..." the Sage looked down, "I didn't consent to their union."

"Any particular reason why that is?"

"Anna is all I have left. And this man thinks he can just waltz in and take her away from me." Tellah sounded disgusted.

"Uh, no offense," I said, "But don't you think you're being a little overprotective."

"You question my judgement, boy!" the old man snapped.

I raised my right hand in defense. "I'm just saying. Did you even take the time to get to know him?"

"He's a spoony bard, what's there to know?" Geez. What a stubborn old fool. Master Kaname might've been protective of his family but I'm certain he wouldn't have been this closed minded. He would've at least got to know the guy that desired his daughter's heart first, then if he approved he would've give him his long katana, Dawn's Might, a sword that symbolized the protection of one's family. On that line of thought, it pained me that he won't be able to pass on that sword.

"And what's your story, young man?" the Sage asked me, breaking my train of thought. "It's quite unusual for a boy like you to be carrying a sword on the field. Though you performance thus far has proven that you're pretty skilled for your age."

I looked down in thought. "I'm just a Rōnin." I told him. "Searching for a new purpose. I met these two when I helped stop a bunch of soldiers from killing an innocent child. They invited me to join them and I accepted."

"I see," Tellah said. "Finding oneself is never an easy task." He then looked to Cecil. "What business have you in Damcyan?"

Cecil look down in sorrow. "A friend of mine suffers from desert fever."

"Ah!" Tellah understood. "So you came for the Sand Pearl." Cecil nodded in response. "It won't be easy to obtain."

"So tell me, what kind of monster are we facing?" I asked. "I heard the villagers of Kaipo talking about eight water serpents."

"That is inaccurate." the Sage answered. "What it actually is is a vicious creature with eight huge tentacles."

"So, it's giant octopus? Well, this is gonna be fun," I said sarcastically.

"It's called an Octomammoth. We must kill it and reach Damcyan...before it's too late."

"Too late for what?" asked Cecil.

Tellah looked down in worry. "I don't know. I only pray my instincts are wrong..." I could see where he was coming from. My Master Kaname had unmatched instincts. His sixth sense was even able to predict a crisis approaching Radiant Garden, and now the world was utterly destroyed. _Always trust your instincts._ A lesson he engraved into my mind. I was still training my sixth sense so I doubted mine was as in tune as Tellah's. But if his instincts are as good as my master's then something terrible is about to happen. The only question was, how much longer do we have?

I looked back at the young Summoner sleeping on my shoulder. I had to agree with Tellah, she had a cute face. Reminded me of my master's daughter. It saddened me that Rydia was so young and without any parents. It made me worry for Kairi as, assuming she was even alive, she was about as young as Rydia and now without any parents. I wondered how she was fairing.

Looking back on how I met Rydia, it wasn't much different from how I met Kairi.

 **Flashback: About a year and a half ago.**

I was sitting against a wall by myself, swinging a wooden sword a little. I was bored, and didn't really have any friends.

Then I heard a female voice yelling, "You little brat!" I turned to see a gold-blond-haired, teenaged girl staring angrily at a little four to five-year-old crimson-red-haired girl. I noticed there was ice cream on the teenager's shirt, and bar of ice cream splattered on the ground next to her. "What do you think you're doing bumping into me like that!"

"I-I'm sorry!" the little girl said bowing to the older girl. "I-I wasn't looking where I was going!" She started to walk away only for the blond to grab her by the hair.

"Don't you walk away from me!" the blond snapped.

"Hey, let me go!"

The blond force her to kneel down. "You ruined my favorite shirt! And now you're gonna pay!"

 _What does that wench think she's doing?_ I thought. _She just a little kid!_

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" the red head cried.

"Not good enough!" the blond yelled. "Say it like you mean it!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" the little one cried, tears dropping on the ground.

Unwilling to let this go any further, I stood up and approached them. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" I shouted gaining the blond's attention.

"I'm teaching her some manners!" she snapped. "Get lost!"

"From where I stood, her manners were just fine. She apologized... multiple times. You're the one who needs to learn some manners, like accepting her apology."

"Mind your own business!"

"Sorry," I told her, "but letting a little kid get bullied doesn't sit well with me. Especially for something as trivial as ice cream on your shirt."

"I said..." the blond said as she threw the red head onto the ground. "Butt out already!" she shouted as she punched me in the hard in the gut. Ouch that one hurt. But I quickly retaliated by punching her hard in the face, knocking her to the ground. She held her left cheek as she yelled, "I can't believe you'd hit a lady!"

"Lady?" I scoffed. "What kind of a 'lady' goes around picking on little girls? All I see is a bully. And I don't tolerate bullies no matter what gender they are."

"How dare you!" the blond stood up.

I then pointed my wooden sword at her, causing her to flinch. "I won't tell you again. Leave. her. ALONE!"

She shivered for a moment but then smirked. "Go ahead. Do what you want! You'll regret it. You think your gonna play the hero? All my parents are going to hear is that you assaulted me, and you'll only be the villain!"

"Is that what you think?" a new voice startled the both of us.

We looked right next to us and standing there was tall auburn-haired man wearing a white and black uniform with red heart symbols and a long katana strapped to his waist. He had a stern expression on his face. _When did he get here?_ I thought. _I didn't even notice him._

"Daddy!" the little red head cried as she latched onto the man's leg. "Daddy, that girl was picking on me! I bumped into her by accident and made her spill her ice cream. I said I was sorry, but she kept pulling on my hair."

The man's eyes narrowed. "Is that right?"

I could see the blond trembling in his gaze. I then saw a boy about my age with fire-red spiky hair run up to us. He stopped to catch his breath. "You know... Mister Mae..." he said, "You could've... waited up... for me!"

"Sorry, Lea," the swordsman said. "But when you gave me the tip, I just couldn't waste any time. Thanks by the way."

"Arleen Viggo," the boy, Lea, said to the blond as he stood upright. "Never thought you'd stoop so low."

"Can it, flame breath!" the blond, Arleen, snapped.

"Arleen Viggo, huh?" the man said. "I'll be having a word with your parents later. But for now," he pulled his sword an inch out of its scabbard, startling the blond, "I suggest you get going."

Arleen wasted no time in taking off.

As soon as the bully was out of our sight, the man sheathed his sword, then kneeled down and turn to the little red head. "You okay, sweetheart?" he said gently.

The girl hugged the man and said, "Yes, Daddy! Thanks to that boy over there!" She pointed at me as she said that.

"What's your name kid?" the man asked me.

"Sasuke..." I answered "Sasuke Kazekiri."

"Kazekiri?" the man asked as if he recognized the name. "You're Yamato's boy, aren't you?"

"Y-yeah... Did...you know him?" I asked surprised he new my father.

The man smirked. "He taught me everything I know about the art of the sword."

"H-he did?" I was stunned. The man in front me was taught by my father.

"My name is Kaname Mae," the swordsman said. "Thank you for defending my daughter."

"N-no problem. I just... did what anyone else would've done."

The little girl walked up to me and bowed as she said, "Thank you very much. My name's Kairi. Kairi Sakura Mae."

"Name's Lea Fahrenheit," said the fire headed boy. "Got it memorized?"

I noticed Kaname's gaze on my wooden sword. "So you like to swing swords around like your father, huh?"

"Yeah," I answered. "I never got to meet him. But mother told me he was a great swordsman in his time. I guess I wanted some kind of...connection to him."

"I see." Kaname held his chin in thought for a moment before saying. "Say Sasuke. As thanks for helping my daughter, I'm gonna invite you over for dinner."

"R-really?"

"Sure! Why not? What do you say?"

It was overwhelming for me. Invited to dinner with my father's student. "I'll...have to ask my mother, but..."

"Extend it to her as well." he said. "I have something I want to talk to her about." I wondered what it was he wanted to talk about.

"Um, Okay." I answered. "But just so you know, my mother's been awfully ill lately. Nothing contagious, and she should be good enough to come. Just... be mindful."

"That won't be a problem." Kaname said with a smile. "I'll tell the palace guards we'll be expecting company. They'll show you the way to our family quarters."

I placed my hand on my heart and bowed as I said, "Thank you, sir."

The man nodded and turned to his daughter. "Come along, Kairi. We've gotta tell your mother we're having guests over for dinner tonight."

"'Kay!" Kairi said before turning to me and waving. "Bye Sasuke!"

I waved back as Kairi and Kaname walked away. Leaving me and Lea.

Lea approached me and said, "Be thankful I saw what was going on and got her father here pronto before that escalated."

"Thanks," I replied.

Lea then smirked and patted my shoulder. "You should consider yourself lucky. Not many people get to have the honor of having dinner with the Captain of the Palace Guard. Get it memorized." He then left.

I took a moment to process what just happened. I just defended the daughter of the Captain of the Palace Guard, who happened to have been a student of my father, and as thanks, he invite me and my mother to dinner. I began walking back home to tell mother about this.

That was the day I first met Kairi, who later became like a little sister. But it was also the day I first met the man who, after that night, would become my master, and a father figure.

 **Flashback end.**

The circumstances may not have been as severe with Kairi as it was with Rydia. But regardless, it made Rydia remind me of Kairi even more. It was quite strange. I had only known this girl for three days, and already I felt so attached to her. I smiled at her as I brushed her emerald hair with my left hand, which she smiled in response. I didn't know whether or not I was ever gonna leave this world, but I decided that as long as I was here, I would protect this girl.

* * *

 **A/N: Rydia is my personal favorite character in FF4, and believe it or not, because of this I'm actually considering pairing her with Sasuke. Before anyone protests let me explain. First off, as those of you who played FF4 should know(if not then SPOILERS), Rydia gets separated from the party, is assumed to be dead, until she returns out of nowhere as a young adult, 18 in my story, just 3 years older than Sasuke. Nothing wrong with that. Now they won't actually get together in this story(Sasuke's only 15 you know), but if Kris approves, he'd be married to her in her KH4 story with an teenaged adopted daughter, Cuore (from FFIV: The After Years), and a 7-year-old biological child that I haven't quite decided on the gender just yet. If she doesn't approve, then you can just consider Rydia a second surrogate sister to Sasuke. ****Also, those of you who are EdgeXRydia fans, sorry, but I just don't think Rydia is really interested in Edge. Nothing is set in stone.**

 **Anyway, please review.**


	3. Black Coat and Octomammoth

**A/N: I was having trouble thinking of special qualities for Sasuke's Moon Cutter, other than being a thicker bladed katana. I had thought of giving it the ability to infuse elemental properties easily, but I decided I didn't want use the same idea from another one of my stories, even if I limited it to only one or two elements. But after some thinking, I finally came up with a good ability.**

* * *

 **Black Coat and Octomammoth**

* * *

 _Patria: "Someone clearly had typical overprotective father syndrome."_

 _Sora: "As a father myself, I can understand Tellah's concerns. But I would've gotten to know guy before making that kind of judgement."_

 _Patria: "Yeah sure."_

 _Kairi: "You were very fond of Rydia, weren't you?"_

 _Sasuke: "Well considering she reminded me of you, it was hard not to be. I should probably visit the Land of Twin Moons sometime soon. It has been a long time."_

 _Pith: "I think it's awesome how you first met Mom and Grandpa Kaname."_

 _Sora: "Yeah, and it seems like quite a lucky coincidence that your master happened to be your father's pupil."_

 _Sasuke: "In my experience, there's a fine line between coincidence and fate."_

* * *

We had reached a open clearing of the waterway. It was a large grassy field in the middle of the mountains. Tellah told us that once we enter the cavern beyond this valley, the Octomammoth will be nearby.

However, when found the second entrance, we had an unexpected encounter. There was a mysterious figure standing at the entrance with its back turned to us. The figure looked like it was wearing a black coat, that didn't really look like it belonged in this world, really suspicious. I had the ominous feeling about this person. Something told me this person was trouble.

"Hey, you in the coat!" Tellah barked, "What's your business here?" I guess I wasn't the only one who found the figure suspicious.

The figure turned toward us. It's face was shrouded in that hood, and I couldn't make it out. The figure then let out a chuckle, masculine from the sound of the voice, so I assumed it was a man. "Well, well." He said in a cocky tone. "What do we have here? An old coot, an tiny lass, a teenaged boy, and a knight of darkness. You look like quite an interesting bunch."

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" demanded Cecil.

"What am I doing here?" the man repeated. "I'm looking for some...entertainment. What kind of things on this world could I stir up?" That last statement made be wonder if he too was from another world, like me. "Say! Maybe you lot could entertain me for a bit. I could use someone to test out our new lackeys."

He then snapped his fingers and suddenly we found ourselves surrounded by strange creatures. The were pale white humanoids of two different varieties. One was relatively my size, awfully skinny, and their limbs look unreal, not even a single hand. The other kind was small and lying flat on the ground on their stomachs, it actually looked like they had feet were their hands should be. They were pretty creepy. I took note of a strange symbol on the skinny ones' heads, it looked like an upside down heart with a few large spikes. I looked at the others in my group, they looked clueless.

"What kind of demons are these?" demanded Tellah.

"I'm glad you asked," said the hooded man. "These are what my boss calls Nobodies. A bunch of empty husks without hearts of their own. You may not believe me but I'm actually kinda one of them, just without the white deformity."

"Your boss? One of them?" I asked sternly. "Who are you? Who are you working for?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" the man chuckled. "Now then, let's see what these Nobodies can do!"

The moment he wave his hand toward us, the monsters attacked. One of the skinnier ones, which I would later learn are called Dusks, leapt into air a started floating towards me in a slithering snake-like movement. I swung Moon Cutter at it. I didn't expect it to maneuver above me and whip its limbs at me. I quickly spun around and swiped slashed the Nobody in half, watching it disintegrate into white particles.

I then saw two of the smaller ones, that I'd later learn are called Creepers, seem to turn their 'front legs' into wings and flew above me. I was flabbergasted when those thing suddenly stretched themselves into elongated shape and then zipped down toward me like spears. I was fortunate enough to back away quickly enough for them to miss by mere inches. Wasting no time, I sliced one of them in two, destroying it. The other one then shape shifted into sword-like form and slashed at me. I defended with sword, locking blades with it. I decided to take the opportunity to finally try out a special ability of Moon Cutter. I focused my energy onto the blade, and it emitted a red glow, indicating it was absorbing the force the Creeper was using on me. I then took a step forward and shouted, " **Counter Cutter!** " as I tore right through the sword-shaped Nobody, utterly destroying it.

I then heard Rydia scream. I look to my left and saw that a Dusk had wrapped itself around her, binding her arms and squeezing her tight. I ran over to her, cutting down any Nobody that got in my way. Once I reached the young summoner, I grabbed hold of the Dusk's head and beheaded it, causing the rest of it to disintegrate, freeing Rydia.

She fell to her knees in relief as I asked, "Are you alright?"

The girl panted a little before looking at me and saying, "Y-yes. Th-thank you." But then something seem to have caught her attention as the point her rod over my shoulder and shouted, " **Blizzard!** " and I cold air fly past my shoulder. I looked behind me and saw a frozen Dusk on the ground. Apparently, this Dusk was trying to sneak behind me until Rydia caught it with her spell.

I stabbed my sword into the frozen creature, finishing it off, before looking back at her with a smile and patted her on the head. "Nice save, Rydia." I noticed her blushing when I said that. _Perhaps she's not use to praise,_ I thought.

I then looked around to see that Cecil had just unleashed a wave of darkness, destroying multiple Nobodies. I also saw Tellah cast a fire spell, burning several other Nobodies. Rydia had clutched my arm in fright when Tellah casted that spell. I had a feeling she didn't like fire.

But despite our efforts to take them down, more just kept coming. I looked over at the black coated man, who was just standing there in the distance watching. I had a thought that if we took down the leader, they would stop. I dashed at the black coated man, striking down Nobody in my way. I managed to reach him and I swung my sword at him. However I hit nothing but air as the man vanished before my eyes. I looked left and right look ing for him.

"I see," I heard his voice coming from above. I looked up and was startled at what I saw. The man was standing...in mdair...upside down. I even notice his coat wasn't even riding up. _What's up with this guy?_ I thought. _It's like he's defying gravity or something._ I was brought out of my train of thought when he spoke again. "I remember you now. You're the pupil of that goodie two-shoes Kaname, aren't you?"

That statement made me freeze in place. "Y-you," I stammered. "You knew Master Kaname?"

The figure chuckled, "What a weird coincidence running into you here. How did you get onto this world? Did you come here by choice, or by pure luck?" He laugh again, his tone sounded like he was treating this like some kind of joke. "Things just got interesting around here."

This man was making my blood boil. As if his cockiness didn't irritate me enough. The fact that he knew Master Kaname, and from that 'goodie two-shoes' comment wasn't exactly friends with him, and knew that I was his apprentice, it was clear he's been to my home world, Radiant Garden, maybe even lived there. Now that I thought about it, his voice sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it. I wondered if this man knew about what happened that fateful night. And from his demeanor, I wondered if he even played a part in it. With that in mind, my anger grew.

"Who are you?!" I shouted at him, as I began charging energy into my sword for another technique Master Kaname taught me. "Tell me already!"

"As if," he replied.

I then growled as I swung my sword, " **Sonic Wave!** " and a wave of energy launched from the blade. However, the man vanish again before the wave could hit him.

I look around for him until I spotted him standing on the ground again. "I'd love to stay and play a little longer, but I'm afraid I have too much work to do at the moment. Maybe next time."

"Don't walk away from me!" I yelled.

"Be a good boy now!" he smugly waved his hand as swirling clouds of darkness gathered around him and he vanish again.

I knelt down and punch on the ground in frustration.

"Sasuke!" I heard Rydia call. I looked over to see her and the others running up to me. They had just finished take out the rest of those Nobodies. "Are you okay?" she ask worriedly.

"I'm fine," I answered as I stood up.

"Where did that man in the black coat go?" asked Cecil.

I looked down in shame and said, "I'm sorry. I let him get away."

"It's okay, Sasuke," the dark knight assured me. "We had no way of knowing what he was capable of."

"That man was definitely not human," stated Tellah. "He had a similar aura as those monsters he sent on us. I don't think he was kidding when he said he was one of them. What disturbs me is that I've never seen their likes before in my life."

"Neither have I," replied Cecil.

"But I doubt we've seen the last of them," I added.

"Something tells me they were not of this world," the sage said. "We'll have to be more careful, incase we encounter them again. We'll take a short break after that little scuffle. We wouldn't want to be too tired when we confront the Octomammoth."

And so we took a short break. Tellah spent it teaching Rydia a few of the magic spells he remembers. Apparently he had forgotten most of the spells he knew due to his old age. Sometimes a spell he had forgotten will come out when he needs it, but then it just as quickly escapes him afterward.

I spent the break practicing my sword swings while Cecil observed. I still couldn't get that black coated man out of my mind. Too many questions about him lingered that it really bothered me. I needed to know what he knew. But also I knew that if I were to face him again, I needed to get stronger.

My train of thought was broken when Cecil asked me, "Say Sasuke, you said before that your sword is one of a kind. Can I ask how that is?"

I stopped as I looked at the sword in thought. You see, my father, Yamato Kazekiri, wasn't just a great swordsman, he was also an expert blacksmith. And this sword, Moon Cutter...was his creation. Master Kaname had given me this sword as a gift a few months ago. He had planned on giving it to me when I was older, but decided to do it early as thanks for my help when a certain...accident occurred involving his daughter, Kairi, but that's a story for later. I took a deep breath as I started to explain. "Well, for one thing being a katana, Moon Cutter has a unique cutting ability. With its curved blade and the two-handed handle, if wielded just right, a master of this kind of weapon can make a clean cut through many materials easily. This sword has a thicker blade than usual, trading speed for force."

"I also sense there's some kind of magic infused in that sword of yours." said Tellah while Rydia was practicing the Thunder spell.

I nodded in response. "Its actually infused with two types of magic. One protects it from wear, tear, and rust. This sword never needs to be honed, nor can it break. But there's another sword I know of that has that magic. What really makes Moon Cutter special is the magic that gives it what my master once dubbed the Counter Cutter ability."

"Counter Cutter?" asked Cecil.

"I hadn't quite got a chance to try it out until we fought those...Nobodies, but if I focus my energy into the blade as it's hit by another's attack, it can absorb some of the force of the attack and store it for a short period of time, and if I react quickly enough, I can use that force to strengthen my next attack. In other words, Moon Cutter is perfect for parry-and-counterattack strategies."

"Could it absorb magic attacks as well?" asked Tellah as he stroked his beard in thought.

I scratched my head in thought for a second. "That I don't know. I'm not sure that's ever been tried."

"How did you come across a sword like that?" asked Cecil.

I looked down and said, "It was my father's." They didn't question any further.

I then looked down to my left and saw Whyt staring at me. Ah yes, I had forgotten to mention that little marshmallow creature. He's pretty much the only thing from Feymarch, the land of the Eidolons, that Rydia is capable of summoning right now. Whyt is what's called a whytkin. Apparently, they're like the 'larval form'. Little pale white men with marshmallow shape heads and faces that almost look like they were drawn on the head. Whyt in particular was also wearing a red bow tie on his neck. They are pretty friendly creatures and, dare I say it, kind of adorable. But they also train themselves to gather new individual abilities until they evolve into powerful Eidolons. Though there are some that choose to remain whytkins for the purpose of making more 'baby Eidolons'. Whyt was not much of a fighter, and Rydia only summoned him to play with him, like her own personal pet. I've noticed the little guy seemed to like to stare at me with curiosity for some reason. I kinda wondered why, but I didn't ask. Of course the fact that he spoke in a language I couldn't understand didn't help much. I often wondered what he was saying to Rydia, as she's the only one who understood him.

I knelt down to Whyt and petted his squishy head, which made the little guy giggle. He then ran over to Rydia, who had stopped practicing her spells and was sitting in the grass, and jumped on her lap, which she responded by cuddling him.

"Alright," Tellah spoke, "Break time's over. We must continue to Damcyan Castle."

And so we continued through the caverns. Tellah had us slide down a waterfall in order to save time, which wasn't exactly fun. We walked through ankle deep water until we came across the bottom of another waterfall.

"The exit to this cave is just behind that waterfall," said Tellah. "But stay sharp. The Octomammoth is lurking in the deep end of this water bed. If we approach the waterfall slowly, we may be able to sneak passed it. But I wouldn't get my hopes up. Use caution everyone."

We slowly and careful walked around the shallow end of the pool toward the waterfall, Tellah leading the way, followed by Cecil, then me and Rydia. All the while, I was getting an ominous feeling. My sixth sense was telling me danger was near. I had a feeling the monster knew we were here.

Suddenly, I heard Rydia scream from behind me. I looked and saw that a large orange tentacle with blue stripes had constricted around the girl and lifted her off the ground.

"Rydia!" I shouted.

"Help me!" Rydia screamed.

"Rydia! Hang on!" I heard Cecil shout.

I wasted no time and charged my energy into my sword. I yelled, " **Sonic Wave!** " and launched a wave of energy at the tentacle, creating a gash on it but didn't cut all the way through. I still needed to work on the techniques power. But it was enough to make the appendage flinch and loosen its grip on Rydia, dropping her. I quickly sheathed my sword and dove toward her, catching her bridal style. I then got up and leapt away with her as another tentacle almost grabbed us.

As I set her down, the rest of the monster's tentacles sprung from the water, all eight of them now visible. Then it cone shaped head emerged, with its scary white eyes and sharp toothy grin. I was not a pleasant sight.

"Octomammoth!" shouted Tellah. "It won't let us pass now! We've got to fight!" He then raised his staff and called, " **Thunder!** " and a bolt of lightning crashed down on the monster's head.

The giant octopus screeched in pain but it seemed to only make it mad. It lashed a tentacle at Tellah, only for Cecil to slice the appendage off before it could hit him. Cecil then charged his sword with darkness, " **Dark Wave!** " and he unleashed a wave of darkness on the Octomammoth. It let out another screech of pain.

" **Thunder!** " I heard Rydia shout as another lightning bolt shocked the monster.

A tentacle then faced Rydia and started to come crashing on her. Thinking fast, ran in between the appendage and Rydia and swung my sword to intercept attack. I swung while focusing my energy into the sword just as a precaution in case I wasn't strong enough the cut the tentacle in one swing. The second the tentacle collided with my sword, it absorbed the force from the appendage. I knew I couldn't hold it for long so decided to just release it, shouting, " **Counter Cutter!** " as I cut right through the appendage.

The Octomammoth was then hit by a couple more thunder spells and two more tentacles were sliced off by Cecil's dark sword. That was four down, four to go. However, the monster seemed really agitated now.

"Be careful!" shout Tellah. "A wounded beast is very dangerous! It'll come at us more ferociously now!"

"We'll need to distract it somehow," said Cecil.

"I can help with that!" declared Rydia as she knelt on the ground and began waving her hands. " **Cockatrice!** " she shouted as a flock of bird-like creatures materialized above her. The cockatrices flew toward the Octomammoth, and one by one they attacked its face, pecking it with their beaks or scratching it with their talons. The beast started trying to wack them, but they were moving through the air so swiftly that it was hard to catch them. It was working, the beast was distracted.

I turned to Rydia with a smile and said, "Nice one, Rydia!"

Despite the dimness of the cave, I notice there was a small blush on her cheeks after I said that. _Definitely, not use to praise,_ I thought. She look at me and said, "Th-Thank you, Sasuke."

"Okay everyone," Cecil took command. "Let's hit it hard, and take it down fast!" He then raised his arms and spread them outward and he shouted, " **Darkness!** " and a dark aura surrounded him. "Let's go!"

I looked to the sage and noticed he had two finger on his forehead and seemed to be contentrating on something. Perhaps he's trying to recall one of the spells he had forgotten.

I looked back at the monster, as I saw that Cecil already made his move, cutting another tentacle. Rydia then casted another thunder spell, after making her birds disperse from the monster.

I then charged forward, and pointed my sword at the sixth tentacle. " **Breakthrough!** " I thrusted my sword through the appendage before ripping the flesh open to the side and then chopping the rest of the appendage off.

"Get back!" I heard Tellah shout. Cecil and I wasted no time in leaping back. He then called, " **Thundaga!** " and a more intense bolt of lightning struck the Octomammoth. The monster screeched in agony.

"It's working!" said Cecil. "Keep it up!" He then launched another Dark Wave attack while I simultaneously launched another Sonic Wave. The another screech later and suddenly I find myself wrapped by the waste by one of the two remaining tentacles. I shouted as I was lift into the air above the monster, who looked hungry.

"Sasuke!" I heard Rydia call worriedly as I struggled to get lose.

"Hold on!" Cecil shouted as he ran toward be, slicing the other tentacle as it got is his way.

"Sasuke, raise your sword and focus you energy!" Tellah commanded. I didn't know what he was planning at first but I didn't have time to question it as I did as I was told. I saw Tellah raise his staff and called, " **Thunder!** " and in that moment I felt a little jolt coming from my sword. It was clear to me that Tellah had casted thunder on my sword to test if it could absorb magic. It seemed to be working as the blade was glowing a green light and was electrically charged.

In that moment, Cecil had cut off the last appendage that was holding me. As I fell toward the giant octopus's head, I wasted no time taking my electrical sword and plunging it onto the top of it's head. I could feel the monster trembling from the electricity. Then for good measure, Cecil charged his sword with darkness and shouted, " **Soul Eater!** " as he stabbed it into the beast's left eye and followed up with an extra surge of dark energy from his left palm into the right eye. The monster let out a blood curdling scream that soon turned into a crackling groan. Cecil and I leapt back as we all watch the beast sink motionlessly into the water. The Octomammoth was dead.

We all took a minute to catch our breaths. Me especially, kneeling on one knee. The first big monster I had to help take down. My time in this world was just becoming full of firsts. I felt something grab onto my left arm, which startled me at first, but I relaxed when I saw that it was just Rydia, clutching me in fright. I sheathed my sword and stroked my right hand through her hair to comfort her.

"You alright, Sasuke," Cecil asked me.

"Yeah," I answered. "I've just never taken on anything that big before."

"Well, experience makes you stronger, right?"

"Yeah, it does."

After a moment, Tellah said, "Alright, we must hurry, once we exit this cave, it'll be a straight shot to Damcyan Castle."

With that we exited the Underground Waterway.

* * *

 **A/N: I thought that in order to make this story a little more interesting, I had to include a member of Organization XIII on here as a thorn on my OC's side. I'm not really planning on him joining the villains of this world, he's more of a nuisance who feels a need to stick his nose into Sasuke's business. You'll be seeing more of him later, and each encounter will get more and more personal for the young swordsman. I should also note that this was around the time the organization was just founded, so at the moment they have only a few members, specifically No. 1-6. So, can you guess which member is in this story?**

 **The event that rewarded Sasuke his sword will be explained in a later chapter when I feel it's more appropriate. I'm sure Kris may be able to guess what I'm talking about though.**

 **For those of you who don't know, Whyt is a summon that's exclusive to the DS version of FF4. I haven't played that version myself, so I can't efficiently gauge his usefulness in battle, but I thought it would be a nice touch to include him. Just don't expect him to show up very often.**

 **Just to be clear, the 'Soul Eater' Cecil used has nothing to do with Riku's dark sword, but rather it's a move Cecil can use in the fighting game, _Dissidia Final Fantasy_. You'll be seeing more of those later.**

 **On a side note, is anyone else excited that it has just been announced that _Kingdom Hearts III_ will feature a world based on the recent Disney film, _Big Hero 6_?**


	4. Loss of Loved Ones

**A/N: Sorry about the wait. I've been in a bit of a writing slump lately. I mean, it's been months since I last updated... anything.** **Anyways, here it is.**

 **By the way, Kris and I have finish a collab story recently. It's called _Radiant Garden Renegades_ and it's about the four friends of Radiant Garden: Kairi, Lea, Isa, and Sasuke. You should check it out if you haven't already. It has some Sasuke moments that I may or may not touch upon in first person perspective via flashbacks. But just so you know, the flashback in this chapter is not in RGR, so yes I might give you more flashbacks of events not covered in RGR if one comes to me. Anyway, the story is on Kris's Fanfiction profile and my Deviantart.**

 **Also, if you read Kris's KH4 story than you'll know that SasukeXRydia is now officially canon to her universe. I'll try to build up the bond between the two as much as I can in this story, but again I must make clear that the two don't officially get together yet in this story. Heck, as Sasuke is telling this story to his godchildren they still haven't married yet.**

* * *

 **Loss of Loved Ones**

* * *

 _Sora: "Yeah. The way he talked, I've got a pretty good idea who that black coated man was."_

 _Pith: "Who?"_

 _Sasuke: "You'll find out later. Again, let's not get ahead of the story."_

 _Kairi: "First big monster you fought, you say? Didn't you help fight a Guard Armor once before fighting this monster?"_

 _Sasuke: "Well, your father did most of the work. And if you count all five disembodied parts as separate Heartless, I only attacked one Gauntlet. Nothing compared to the Octomammoth, where I had to do a lot more work."_

 _Patria: "You said Rydia was blushing at your praise?" *giggles* "Sounds to me like someone had a little crush on an older boy."_

 _Sasuke: "Uh, yeah... Let's move on, shall we?"_

* * *

We had exited the waterway, Rydia summoned more chocobos for us to ride, and we headed straight for Damcyan Castle. We saw the castle in the distance, however we also saw explosions. This prompted us to pick up the pace, but by the time we were a mile away, a few red flying objects flew overhead. I was stunned to see what literally looked like flying sailing boats. Cecil confirmed that those were Baron's airships, the Red Wings.

Once we arrived at the castle, we stared in horror at the destruction. The walls were destroyed, many of the towers were down, and the main tower was still standing but not in great shape. I couldn't help but wonder if this was the omen Tellah was talking about; I had no doubt that was what he was thinking right now. We walked into the sight to search for survivors. All the soldiers were either dead or dying. By sheer luck, there were civilians that had survived.

We climbed the only tower standing until we found, lying on the floor, a woman with long brunette hair and a yellow dress...and a few arrows sticking out of her torso. The second Tellah saw her, he gasped, "Anna!" The rest of us were shocked as the sage than rushed over to his unmoving daughter's side.

It took a moment for us to notice we weren't alone in here. To our right, stood a man with neck-length blond hair and green eyes, wearing red-orange garments with a cape and feathered hat. The man looked pretty distraught as he stared at the woman on the ground.

Tellah turned to the man and growled at him. "You... You wicked bard! You did this to her! You took Anna away from me!" Admittedly, my first thought upon hearing him say that was how blind he sounded. I mean, did he not see the destruction around him? Why was he so quick to blame the bard? Of course, I couldn't fault him for that. He did just find his daughter lying dead on the floor. Anyone in his position would start acting irrationally.

Still, as soon as I saw Tellah rush to the man and start wacking him with his staff, all the while the bard pled for him to listen, I couldn't stand by and watch. I dash to the old sage and grabbed a hold of his staff. "Tellah, this isn't helping! Just calm down and hear the guy out!"

"Stay out of this, BOY!" the old man barked back.

"Sorry, but wrongfully accusing someone of a crime they didn't commit doesn't sit well with me!"

Tellah then turn toward me, flicking his staff out of my grasp. "You dare lecture me!" He looked to be charging a fire spell through his staff.

I gripped the handle of my sword. "If you don't stop this madness then, Yes!"

"F-father...p-please stop!" A weak female voice stopped us in our tracks. Everyone turned to see the woman on the floor with her blue eyes open. We all immediately gathered around her.

Tellah wrapped his arms around his daughter. "Oh Anna! There's life left in you yet!"

"Father..." Anna said in a raspy voice. "Edward... is the p-prince of Damcyan. He disguised himself as a bard t-to avoid attention." It was amazing that she was still alive at the moment. But looking at the arrow lodged in her chest, I knew a Cure spell wasn't gonna do her any good. "F-forgive me, Father,... for running off with him. But, I'm... in love with him. But I couldn't stay... without my father's blessing. I was about to return when..."

"The Red Wings laid siege to us," the bard prince, Edward, finished for her. "led by a man named Golbez."

"Golbez?" asked Cecil. The face of his helmet was open at this time, and his expression told me he never heard that name before.

"Yes." Edward nodded. "A figure clad in armor of deepest night; his strength beyond that of mortal man."

"And the Red Wings' purpose?"

"Our Crystal of Fire..." First Mysidia's crystal and now Damcyan's? Just what does Baron want with these crystals? "and then they rained fire upon us. I lost my mother and father. Then Anna tried to shield me from their arrows..."

"You loved this man that much?" Tellah asked shocked that she would do such a thing. This was the second time I've ever heard of someone actually taking a mortal wound for someone else. The first... was my father, when gave his life to protect Lord Ansem.

Anna's eye began drooping. "Father... please... forgive me. I was so... selfish." She then looked to her lover. "Edward Chris von Muir... I... love... you." And then she suddenly collapsed, completely motionless.

"Anna!" Edward shouted.

"Anna?!" Tellah checked for a pulse; I could tell there wasn't one when the sage broke down. "Anna!"

I watched as tears flowed out of Edward's eyes, Rydia lowered her head in sorrow, and Cecil punched the ground. Me? I kicked a small piece of rubble across the room in frustration. The one's back home were already dead by the time I found them, but this was the first time I watched an innocent die right in front of me. And I couldn't do anything about it. I always hated that feeling: powerlessness, the inability to save those around me.

I noticed Tellah's sorrow turn into anger when he stood up and asked the prince. "This... Golbez." He said with a snarl. "Tell me more of him."

"I've heard he came to Baron only recently." I could see that Edward was trying hard to keep himself composed as he spoke, but was failing miserably. "It seems he's using the Red Wings to steal Crystals."

"Tears do not bring back the dead, boy!" Tellah said awfully harshly. He then growled as he started toward the exit. "Anna's death must be avenged. I will find this Golbez, and destroy him!"

Cecil quickly rush after the old sage and tried to grab his wrist. "Tellah! Not alone!"

"She was not your daughter!" Tellah snapped as shoved the dark knight away. "Her killer will die by my hands!" And with that he stormed off, leave the rest of us here. I sighed at seeing the old man run off to seek revenge. I swore he was going to get himself killed. I'd have gone after him if we didn't have a more urgent matter.

"Anna." Edward sobbed. It was a sorry sight. I couldn't blame him. The man had just lost his parents, and more importantly his lover. I remembered when mother told me how heartbroken she was when father died. I wondered if this was how she reacted.

"Coward!" Rydia said bluntly. "You're a man, aren't you?! A grown man! Stop crying! I have... after losing my mother."

"Rydia..." I said with a slight sigh. I guessed she was one of those kids who thought that men weren't supposed to cry. Still, was that really necessary?

"You're right!" Edward cried. "I'm a coward, just as you say!" It was sad to see him breakdown like this. "That's why I'm gonna stay at Anna's side! It doesn't matter anymore... Nothing does!"

Then Cecil did something that honestly surprised me. He pulled Edward to his feet and slapped him. Both Rydia and I flinch at this. "You're not the only one who's grieving," Cecil said. "Anna would not wish to see you fawning like a fool." For a moment I once again wondered if that was really necessary. "Please... I've desperate need of your help right now." Oh right, with Rosa's condition we're pressed for time. The prince is the only one who can lead us to the Sand Pearl, and we needed him to get a hold of himself now.

"But, how could I help you?" the prince asked.

"My name is Cecil. A friend of mine has taken ill with Desert Fever in Kaipo, and needs a Sand Pearl if she is to live. And for that, I'm in need of your aid."

"You need... my aid."

"I do. Rosa's life depends on it. I beg you!"

Edward then look at is dead lover. "This woman you speak of... she means a great deal to you, doesn't she? As Anna did... to me." After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath and said. "In a cave far to the east dwells a monstrous creature known as an Antlion. The pearls you seek form from the fluid it secretes when it lays its eggs in the sand. There is no overland route to its den. We must cross the northern shoals to get there. A hovercraft is docked here. With it we can reach the creature's cave. It can bear us across the surf to Kaipo as well. Come. We must hurry." We then started to head down the stairs. But I stopped to look back as I saw Edward taking one last look at Anna. And I heard him say, "Farewell, my love."

"You have my sincerest condolences, Prince Edward." I told him with my usual respectful bow. "I know what it's like to lose those you love."

He looked at me and said, "Thank you, um..."

"Sasuke."

"Thank you, Sasuke."

With that, Edward took us to the orange hovercraft he had used to ferry himself and Anna around. It was big enough to hold six people on it. Edward took the driver's seat, Cecil sat in the front with him, and Rydia and I sat in the back. Edward started the motor and we rode out of the ruined castle.

As we rode over the shoals, I looked up at the sky thinking about what's happened so far. Anna's death... Rosa's illness... I just couldn't help but think about my mother.

 **Flashback**

I was outside my mother's room, waiting for the doctor to finish her check up. Master Kaname was there with me, hand on my shoulder trying to comfort me; it wasn't working. Mother had fallen ill months ago. It had started with coughing fits, but as time went on it had just been slowly getting worse, and soon she was too sick to work. And the worst part, I had just found out that she wasn't really sick, per se,... she was poisoned. A poisonous flower was planted in her garden, and by the time she discovered it and got rid of it, she had already inhaled it pollen. She knew what was causing her illness, and she never told me. I only just found out straight from the mouths of the ones who poisoned her. I just couldn't believe that my mother wasn't just sick... she was slowly dying.

Soon the doctor came out of the room. "How is she?" my master asked.

"Exhausted from coughing, and her fever is getting worse," he told us with pity.

"Is there nothing you can do?"

The doctor shook his head. "I'm afraid not. As you may know, that particular species of flower was the cause of the sickness outbreak that took many lives, including your wife's parents. We thought we had eradicated all traces of them, but it seems the Insurgos got lucky. We don't have an antidote for its poison. And as you know, an Esuna spell can only cure magic-based ailments. Unlike most poisons this one works at an awfully slow pace, which varies depending on how much the pollen is inhaled. She's lucky she had only breathed in a small amount, or else she would've already been dead by now."

"H-how long?" I asked.

"Hard to say. I can only estimate that she has no more than few more months to live. I'm sorry." With that the doctor left.

I looked at my mother as she slept. A whirlwind of feelings stormed my heart. She was the only family I had. I didn't know what I'd do without her. _Why? Why is this happening?_ I kept asking myself. As tears welled in my eyes, I stormed out of the house.

"Sasuke!" I heard my master shout, but I didn't listen, I just kept running.

I ran through the town, ignoring everyone around me. I didn't really know where I was going, but I didn't care. Soon I came to the outer gardens. I looked at the beautiful flowers. My vision became blur by my tears as it made think of a flower wilting, which was pretty much what my mother was now. I fell to my knees as I cried, cursing my luck. I didn't know how long I sat there. But soon enough, I felt a pair of tiny hands grab my arm. I wipe my eyes clear and looked towards the owner of those hands, and I saw little Kairi looking at me with sad eyes.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked me.

I didn't answer her. I just looked back at the ground.

"You wanna talk about it?" I heard a familiar voice say. I looked behind me and saw my other two best friends, Lea and Isa, standing there looking at me sympathetically.

I looked down again. I wanted so much to just tell them I'm fine. But master taught me to always be honest, and the way I was feeling was FAR from fine. Besides, I knew they probably wouldn't be convinced anyways. I doubted they would let it go. "My mother is dying," I told them, "...and there's nothing anyone can do about it. She only has a few months to live. She's the only family I have and I'm losing her! I've never felt so...helpless. I just can't believe this is happening!"

Lea put his hand on my shoulder. "We're sorry about your mom," he said. "If there's anything we could do..."

"What am I supposed to do now? Just wait for the inevitable? Wait for her to die? And what happens after she does? I'll have nothing left."

"I wouldn't say nothing," said Isa. "You still have us, don't you?"

Kairi then shook my arm gently. "Daddy even said you could stay with us when the time comes."

I'll admit that I was surprised that Master Kaname would do such a thing for me, but I didn't let it show. "I-I couldn't let you guys do that. I...I don't want to be a burden."

"Burden?!" Lea exclaimed. "Hardly! Sasuke, you're our friend. Friends help each other through any ordeal, no matter what."

Isa then put his hand on my other shoulder. "None of us are gonna abandon you."

The little girl then wrapped her arms around my neck. "We're here for you, Sasuke. We always will."

With that, I returned the Kairi's embrace, and cried again. Before I met her, I didn't have any friends at all. I only had my mother. It was such a strange feeling know that, in spite of the fact that I was losing my only living family, I had friends that were there to comfort me in my time of sorrow. I couldn't help but wonder: What if I hadn't met her? What if I hadn't finally made friends? My situation would've been a lot worse. I really would've had nothing.

As my sobbing ebbed, I soon heard a throat clearing noise. We turn to see Master Kaname standing there. "Your mother's awake," he told me. "Although she's willing to give you your space, I think you really should talk to her." I could only nod. I wasn't about to disagree with him.

I stood up and started walking back to the house. I wasn't surprised to notice that the others were all following me. I didn't mind though, I probably needed it. Soon my master spoke again. "I've talked with Lord Ansem, he's willing to pay for the meds that'll ease her symptoms. She won't have to suffer as much through this."

I looked down before asking him, "Why are you doing all this for me? I'm hardly worth your time and munny."

" _Not worth my time,_ you say? Do you really think you'd be my apprentice if I didn't think you were worth my time? Also, do I really need a reason to help someone?" I had to admit, he had a point there. This was Kaname Mae I was talking to. "Besides, I owe your father so much. If it wasn't for Yamato, I wouldn't be where I am today. Taking his son under my wing, helping said son through his struggles, and helping to take care of his wife to the best of my ability, they are all the least I can do to repay my debt. Even Lord Ansem feels indebted to him for giving his life for him. Also, you've become one of my daughter's best friends. How could I not lend a helping hand? And even if we hadn't met by now, I still would've helped out once I caught wind of your mother's condition."

I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Your generosity never ceases to astound me."

We arrived back at my house and in front of my mother's room. I was reluctant to enter at first, but looking at the others gave me the nerve to do so. I opened the door to find my mother sitting up in her bed, staring out the window. Her flowing brunette hair was a tad messier, her skin was paler than usual, and her green eyes were bloodshot. Her failing health was pretty obvious, and now that knew the extent of what was happening to her, it made my heart ache.

As soon as I closed the door behind me, she looked at me with a sad smile. "Hi son," she said in a slightly raspy voice, which was followed by a few coughs.

"Hey...mother," I answered as I approached her bed.

There was a minute of awkward silence before mother spoke again. "So you know." More of a statement than a question.

"Yes," I said sadly. "Mother. You knew all along what was happening to you, didn't you?"

"I did. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." She coughed again "At least I got rid of that flower before it could poison you too."

"Then why? Why didn't you tell me?"

She looked down with a sorrowful expression. "I didn't want you to worry about me. While I admire that you put the wellbeing of others above your own, I want you to worry about your own future, not mine." She coughed a few more times. "A boy with the blood of a warrior in his veins is much more precious than a mere gardener like me."

I couldn't hide my tears. "How can you say that? You're the only family I have, and in only a few months you're gonna die." My head dropped toward the floor. "What am I supposed to do once your gone?"

After a moment of sobbing, I felt my mother's hand on my chin as she lifted my head to look my in the eyes. I could see that gentle and loving smile she always gives me. "Sasuke. I don't want you to let my inevitable death break your spirit. All I want you to do is to keep following your dreams. You have a great future ahead of you. I know you'll be a great warrior someday. And you won't have to worry about being alone. You've got friends now: Lea, Isa, and little Kairi. Sir Kaname has assured me that he'll take good care of you once I'm gone, and you know he's never one to go back on his word."

All I could do then was hug my mother, and cry on her shoulder. She returned the embrace, rubbing my back comfortingly as she did.

 **Flashback end.**

It wasn't easy moving forward knowing she was going die soon. Living with the knowledge that your loved one was dying is unbearable. Ironically, it wasn't the poison that ultimately killed her, but in a way the poison pretty much made me mentally prepare for her death, if only just a little. It still tore me up inside when she did though.

I was brought out of my thoughts when a little marshmallow headed creature popped right in front of my face, which startled me. The little guy giggle as he bounced on my lap. "Very funny, Whyt." I told him in a sarcastic tone, although admittedly I couldn't help but smirk at his antics.

Whyt replied with something I typically couldn't understand, but thankfully Rydia was there to translate. "He said, _Y_ _ou were looking so glum staring at the sky like you were. You needed to lighten up a little._ " She told me with a giggle.

I chuckled at that. "Is that so?"

Rydia's expression then turned into one of curiosity and concern. "But seriously though. You looked really spaced out just now. Is something on your mind?"

For a second, I debated, whether or not I should tell her. But the way she looked at me, I decided that telling her a little wouldn't hurt. "Seeing the condition Rosa is in, as well at watching Anna die... it just... reminds me of my mother."

"Could you... tell me about her?"

I let out a quick sigh before telling her. "She was kind, beautiful, supportive, and not to mention the most optimistic person I ever knew. My father died before I was born, and so she raised me all by herself. My mother, Momo, would always support me, and encourage me to follow my dreams. It seemed as though almost nothing could bring her spirit down... not even when she fell ill. She contracted a deadly illness, one that didn't have a cure." I looked down. "Nothing anyone could do. All I could do was watch for months... and take care of her as best as I could... until she finally died." I refrained from mentioning that my mother was actually poisoned, and that it wasn't the illness that ultimately killed her. I didn't wanna risk anyone asking too many questions. I still wasn't sure I should tell anyone that I'm from another world.

"I'm so sorry." I heard the girl say. I looked up and saw her looking down in sorrow. She knew how I felt; she just lost her mother too. "My mom, Lydia, was a lot like yours actually. Kind, pretty, happy. She was also devoted to her life as a summoner." She smiled a bit. "She was actually consider the best in the village. Everyone looked up to her. The Eidolons were also fond of her. I've actually gotten to meet some of them. Ifrit, Shiva, Ramuh, Titan; they are all so cool. But of course, her favorite was the Mist Dragon. They were pretty close, you know. They were always so happy." She then frowned again. "But then came the day mom sent the dragon to Mist Cave. They both looked awfully worried. Mom wouldn't tell what was going on, only not to worry, but... I had a bad feeling about it. Then one day, we were out gardening, when suddenly my mom dropped her watering can. She stood hunched over, clutching her chest. I asked her what was wrong, all she said was... _The Mist Dragon has fallen..._ and then she just fell to the ground." A tear fell from Rydia's eye. So much for her earlier claim that she stopped crying over her mother. Whyt then hopped onto her lap and hugged her as if to comfort her, which she returned. "I tried to get her up... I begged her to wake up... but it was no use. Next thing I knew, there was a fire..." She immediately froze on that last word.

Letting all she just said sink in... I just couldn't imagine what such an experience was like for a child. One minute she had everything she could've wanted, and the next minute it was all taken away from her in an instant. Looking back up at the clouds in the sky, a thought had occurred to me. Which would be worse? Spending months bearing the pain of knowing your loved one is going to die and there's nothing you can do? Or having them die so suddenly that you're completely unprepared for it, and receiving all the immense pain at once? I honestly couldn't answer that question.

I looked back at Rydia, who was now wiping the tears from her eyes. "I know it wasn't Cecil's fault. He didn't know what was going on until it was too late. It still hurts though. She was the only family I had, and I watched her die right in front of me, and there was nothing I could do."

I paused for a moment before saying, "I know. I hate being powerless to do anything, especially when concerning innocent lives, or the lives of loved ones. I don't want to see that happening again. It may be too late for both of our mothers, and it may be too late for Anna, but it's not too late for Rosa. At least her illness has a cure. At least she still has a chance. I refuse to let another innocent person suffer and die as long as I can help it. I'll do everything I can to help save Rosa." I probably sounded confident, but I really wasn't sure how much I could actually accomplish. My confidence took a big hit after that fateful night; you can blame Xehanort for that. Admittedly, my resolve had weakened, but it was still strong enough for me to keep fighting for what I believed it... to the bitter end.

Rydia looked at me with what I could only describe as admiration. I could only guess that something about what I said moved her. I then saw determination in her eyes as she nodded and simply said, "Me too."

I nodded back before turning my attention to the front of the hovercraft. I figured Cecil and Edward were probably listening to our conversation, especially Cecil seeing how I noticed his head slightly turned towards us. I knew he was still blaming himself for Rydia's loss, but I also had a feeling he appreciated what the we were doing for him despite our circumstances.

Soon we stopped in front of a cave. "Here we are," said Edward. "The Antlion's Cave. Be careful, with the rise in monster activity, who knows what we'll run into."

"You think you can defend yourself, Your Highness?" I ask.

"Not to worry." the prince then pulled out a harp. "I may not be much of a fighter myself, but I do know some melodies that monsters can't stand."

"Well, let's get moving." Cecil said. "Lead the way, Prince Edward."

And with that, we entered the Antlion's Cave.

* * *

 **A/N: You know, I think it's somewhat of a theme for Sasuke's character: him refusing to let anything happen that "doesn't sit well with [him]" as long as he can help it. Speaking of themes, if I were to give him a music theme from an outside source, I would give him both "Experience Many Battles" and "Departure to the Front Lines" from the Naruto Shippuden soundtrack. Both have the same notes but are different in tone, the first one is more somber while the second one is more fierce. I think they fit with his theme of loyalty and determination.**

 **It's worth noting that Rydia's mother was never actually named in the game, not even in the sequel, _The After Years_ , where she has a gravestone. So I decided to give her a name myself. You see, there's an unconfirmed possibility that Rydia is actually a mistranslation of the common western name, Lydia(you know, due to the whole _L_ and _R_ mixups we tend to have with Japan)** **. And so I thought, why not name Rydia's mother Lydia?**


	5. Sand Pearl

**A/N: So I just want you to know that Kris has recently started rewriting her original Final Stand story now called _Kingdom Hearts 3: Re:Final Stand_. Just so you know this changes absolutely nothing for this story except one little statement in the first chapter. It was stated that Sasuke didn't return to Radiant Garden until after Xehanort's defeat. Now that statement has officially been retconned and Sasuke returns on the heroes' first visit. **

**You see, Sasuke was pretty much a last minute character in the original story. I had created him without Kris's knowledge, he debuted in a oneshot I wrote for her while Final Stand was nearing its end, and he only appeared in Final Stand's epilogue. Sure he later received a supporting role in _Kingdom Heart 4: A New Light_ , was a main character in _Radiant Garden Renegades_ , and hey he's the star of this story and a couple of my oneshots(though _Living Legacy_ has now been retconned out of the new canon), but that still doesn't erase the fact that he was practically shoehorned into the original Final Stand at literally the last minute. Kris and I decided that needed to be fixed in her rewrite. Granted I had only expected her to occasionally drop Sasuke's name here and there, I hadn't expected Sasuke himself to show up within the first four chapters of the rewrite. But hey, I'm not complaining.**

* * *

 **Sand Pearl**

* * *

 _Patria: "Geez. Edward was such a wimp, wasn't he?"_

 _Pith: "Tria! Give him a break. If you had a boyfriend and he was killed, what would you do?"_

 _Patria: "I would do what Tellah did and go crush the ones responsible!"_

 _Sasuke: "Careful with that line of thought, Pat. Your Grandpa Kaname taught me that revenge is a very dangerous thing to seek. In fact, it's not something one should actively seek at all."_

 _Sora: "I'm really sorry to hear about your mother. I just can't believe someone poisoned her."_

 _Sasuke: "I know. I can't tell you how angry I was when I found out. Poisoned for something my father did, and what he did was the right thing to do no less. But, it's alright. Time has healed the wounds."_

 _Kairi: "Still, it makes me even more sad when you bring up how we promised to take you in when she passed. My dad even told me himself that you had become like a son to him. But because of Xehanort, you missed your chance to become an official part of our family."_

 _Sasuke: *chuckles* "Yeah, when you say it like that, that would've been nice. But, no sense dwelling on how things could've been. Besides, didn't you make me a part of the family anyways by making me your kids' godfather?"_

 _Kairi: *giggles* "Point taken."_

* * *

The four of us had been traveling through the Antlion's Den, fighting monsters as we went. I had to admit, Prince Edward sure knew his music. I was starting to think his bard get up was more than just a disguise. He somehow had the power to turn the sound he makes with his harp into energy bolts that he can direct at his intended target. He also knew a few melodies that certain monsters couldn't stand, leading them to be distracted. He could even play songs that could lull his enemies to sleep or even charm them into attacking other monsters, or even heal or strengthen his allies. While he made not have been much of a frontline fighter (one bad hit and he tends to run and hide, much to Rydia's annoyance), he sure was good at supporting us from the rear.

We found a campsite to take a short break. Edward told us the nest was not too far away, but we never know what could happen. Aside from Rydia playing paddy cake with Whyt, it was pretty quiet.

Feeling a need to break the silence, I decided to ask something that had been on my mind for while. "Hey Sir Cecil, I've been meaning to ask you something: Why did you become a dark knight?"

Cecil crossed his arms. "Well, there is an interesting story behind that. To start with, there is an old legend in Baron about a dark knight that had single handedly defended the kingdom from monsters a long time ago. Odin I believe was his name. It was said that he was far stronger that any mortal man. Why according to legend, he was able to cut dozens of monsters in half in a single swing of his sword. Alongside his noble steed, Sleipnir, he was considered a hero of Baron. As you can imagine normally darkness is known for its destructive nature, and thus is used to bring chaos. But this dark knight used his power to protect rather than destroyed. He was quite the inspiration to the Baron Guard, be it for his honor or for his sheer might. Unfortunately, he fell in battle. According to legend a powerful lightning bolt struck his sword as he raise it to attack. It severely weakened him, but he still went down fighting. We actually have a chamber in the lower dungeons of the castle dedicated to him."

"That's quite a tale," said Edward. "There should be a song about a legend like him."

Little Whyt then started speaking in his usual gibberish, which Rydia translated. "He says that your tale sounds a lot like a legendary eidolon he read about in the Feymarch library. Same name and everything. You think it's the same dark knight?"

Cecil put his hand to his chin. "Could be. There have been rumors about such a thing. It would explain his legendary strength."

"Odin, the Dark Knight Eidolon, Guardian of Baron." I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. "Wish I could see a legend like that."

"But, anyways. That legend has led to some within the guard to aspire to become dark knights themselves."

"But isn't that dangerous?" asked Edward.

"It is. Just attempting to train in the art of the dark sword carries the risk of losing one's sanity. Relying too heavily on dark powers can be hazardous to one's heath. It could even cost one their heart if they're not careful. That's why so few guards in Baron's history have ever succeeded in becoming dark knights, and even fewer that did so and retained their sanity. One such that I know personally, is the current ruler, King Jared." The dark knight looked down in sorrow. "I was just an infant when Jared found me abandoned under a tree in the outskirts of Baron. He took me in himself and raised me as his own, and trained me to be a dark knight like him. For a long time, I was honored to become the knight he used to be. But, after his sudden behavioral change...I just don't feel it anymore. It even makes me wonder if the darkness finally caught up to him."

It was clear to me that Cecil was conflicted with his role as a dark knight. In an attempt to cheer him up I decided to make a suggestion. "Couldn't you just, I don't know, stop being a dark knight if it bothers you so much?"

Cecil shook his head. "It's not that easy. I have trained in the dark arts my whole life, practically raised into it. It's pretty much all I know at this point." A look of shame appeared on his face. "I've worn this darkened armor and wielded this dark sword for so long, I'm not sure there a mode of light left in me. Not even in my heart."

It was my turn to shake my head. "That's where you're wrong, Sir Cecil. My master taught me that light and darkness are two sides of the same coin: one cannot exist without the other. No matter how deep the darkness, there's always a light within that never goes out."

Cecil didn't look convinced, until Rydia spoke with a smile. "He's right! I mean look at me. Rather than finish what the king wanted you to do, you chose to spare my life and look after me. If anything I'm living proof you're a good person."

Edward then chimed in. "And not to mention the risks you are taking to save Rosa from her illness. You must be so devoted to your friends to have that kind of courage."

I chuckled. "You see? Don't sell yourself short. Your good nature proves you haven't lost your light."

The dark knight paused for a moment before saying, "Thanks." I could see he still wasn't completely convinced, but he did seem to appreciate our words.

Edward then stood up. "We should get going. The Antlion's nest is not far. The sooner we grab the Sand Pearl, the sooner we can save Rosa."

"Right."

With that, we continued into the cave. Soon we came to a large sand pit where a glowing yellowish-white orb the size of a baseball in the center.

"Is that it?" I asked.

"Yes," answered Edward. "This is where the Antlion lays its eggs. And that's the Sand Pearl."

We then approached the pearl only to be stopped by an ominous shaking. Soon something bursted out of the sand. It was a large brown insectoid creature, though it had only four legs and with clawed feet. It had big white eyes, a mouthful of razor sharp teeth, and a pair of large pincers. Rydia squealed in fear and hid behind me at the sight. Cecil and I were both on edge, but Edward was surprisingly calm.

"Do not fear," the prince said. "Antlions are quite tame. They don't attack humans. Here, I'll demonstrate by taking the pearl like so."

As he approached the pearl however, my six sense started kicking in again. Something was amiss. I then looked at the Antlion and I could detect an enraged aura around him. There was a faint hint of darkness, but it felt mostly like primal rage. It then locked it sights on Edward prompting me to rush over to him.

"Look out!" I shouted as I tackled the bard out of the way of the beast's claw as it came down.

The monster then tried to attack us again only to be hit by an ice shard courtesy of Rydia. Thinking fast, I pull Edward up and we jumped away.

Edward looked at the Antlion in worried confusion. "I don't understand. Why is it attacking us?"

"I don't know," said Cecil, "but I don't think it's gonna stop."

The Antlion let out an ear piercing screech as its eyes turned red and it charged at us with its pincers. Cecil got in the middle of it, holding them open with his sword and left gauntlet. I then took the opportunity to slash the beast's leg, tripping it up. Cecil got out of the grip and threw a blast of darkness into its mouth. The beast then staggered back a little, choking on the darkness. Edward then played on his harp, conjuring a few pink musical-note-shaped energy bolts and threw them at its head.

The insectoid monster then set its sights on Edward as it charged at him with its pincers open, only for me to come between them. I held the pincers open as long as I could with my sword and gauntlet. Feeling the pressure I activated Moon Cutter's Counter Cutter, which resulted in the blade chopping off the pincer it was holding. It screeched in pain before it swiped me in my unarmored shoulder throwing me back. I sat there gripping my shoulder in pain.

" **Life Anthem!** " Edward shouted as he played a soothing tune on his harp. A green aura surrounded me. taking away my pain.

Rydia then threw a Thunder spell and the Antlion, followed by Cecil unleashing a Dark Wave. The monsters eye turned white again, as it now trembled as if it was now more afraid than angry. It still slowly approached us maliciously.

"Please let this work," Edward said as he played another tune. " **Lullaby!** " A purple aura then surrounded the wounded Antlion as it halted it movement. It eyes seems to slowly droop, as if getting drowsy, and it seem to be struggling to stand. Soon enough it burrowed back under the sand, where I assume it fell asleep.

Edward then walked back over to the nest and grabbed the Sand Pearl, before looking down in worry. "How could this have happened? They've always been harmless creatures."

"Monsters are rapidly multiplying these days," answered Cecil, "and their behavior is changing as well. Many are becoming more aggressive. I can't help but feel this is some kind of sign."

"I agree," I spoke. "It seems to me as though there's a darkness looming over the world that's affecting them."

We were silent for a moment until Rydia stated, "Come on! We're wasting time here! Let's go cure Rosa!"

We all shook our heads snapping out of our thoughts. Of course we have a more pressing matter to deal with. "Right!" said Cecil. "Let's go!"

We quickly hurried out of the cave with the pearl and hopped back into the hovercraft. We drove over the shoals back to Kaipo and arrived just as the sun was setting. We entered the house where Rosa was resting.

"Ah, you've returned," the old man said. "And I see you've brought the Sand Pearl."

"How is she?" asked Cecil.

"She's holding on. The time is now. Place the pearl above her head and its light shall cure her."

We made our way to the bed Rosa slept in. Edward gave the pearl to Cecil, letting him be the one to revive her.

"Rosa," Cecil said nervously. He moved the Sand Pearl above her head as instructed. "Please let this work."

The pearl started glowing brighter. I could see a strange aura running from the pearl into the ill young woman. It was working, I could tell. Soon Rosa began to moan and stir, until finally her eyes opened wide as she let out a light gasp.

After blinking a few times, Rose turned her head to us and immediately locked on her childhood friend. "Cecil!" Almost instantly she sat up and wrapped her arms around Cecil's neck, pulling him into a hug. "You're alive! Thank goodness!"

Cecil seemed to have been taken by surprise, but returned the embrace nonetheless. "I-I'm alright. What about you? How do you feel?" I found it to be a touching sight, seeing these two like this. Looking at them... was almost like looking at Master Kaname and his wife.

"I'm fine. But I thought I'd lost you." I could see a few tears leaking from the Rosa's eyes. "They told me you died in Mist when the earthquake hit. I just...I just couldn't believe it."

"I see. I'm sorry to have put you through that. I wish you didn't come all this way by yourself though."

"I had to. I had to find you, to see for myself." She then coughed a bit, prompting the two to let go.

"Easy." Edward spoke. "You haven't fully recovered from your fever yet."

"Ah, let me introduce you." said the dark knight. "This is Edward Chris von Muir, the prince of Damcyan."

"How do you do?"

"The girl is Rydia, she's a summoner from Mist."

"Hi!"

"And the boy is Sasuke Kazekiri. Don't let his age fool you, he's a skilled swordsman."

"A pleasure to meet you."

"I wouldn't have been able get the Sand Pearl and cure your fever without their help."

"Hello, everyone. And thank you so much. I'm Rosa Joanna Farrell." She then looked around for a moment in confusion. "But Cecil, where's Kain? Isn't he with you?"

Cecil then looked down in sorrow. "He disappeared after the earthquake. I don't know what happened to him."

Rosa gave a very worried look. "Oh dear! I hope he's alright."

"Me too." There was a moment of silence before Cecil broke it. "Rosa, who is Golbez?"

Rosa looked down in concern. "He's the new captain of the Red Wings, appointed by the king himself immediately after you left for Mist. But the king has been acting... strangely."

"I noticed."

"But it's more than just how he's acting. I've been sensing a strange darkness around him that I can't identify. And it's not just the King's darkness. I've only seen Golbez once but I could sense a darkness that's nothing like any dark knights I know. It's like he embraces the darkness. I believe Golbez is manipulating King Jared to collect the Crystals for himself. With Mysidia's Water Crystal in hand, he'll surely go after the others. The Fire Crystal of Damcyan, the Wind Crystal of Fabul, and the Earth Crystal of Troia."

Edward then looked down. "I'm afraid the Fire Crystal has already fallen into his hands."

"Oh my! Cecil! Fabul must be their next target. We must..." the white mage was cut off by her own coughing.

Cecil put his hand on her shoulder. "Rosa, you have to rest now. Don't worry. We will go to Fabul."

"We have a major problem though," Edward interjected. "To reach Fabul, we must traverse Mount Hobs, and unfortunately the trail has recently been blocked by thick wall of ice. We'll never be able to get passed it. There's no shallow route to Fabul for the hovercraft either."

Rosa thought for a moment for turning to the little summoner. "Rydia, can you cast Fire?"

Rydia seemed to freeze for a moment just at the mention of fire. I had previously noticed that Rydia would often react to fire in a very frightful manner. The girl looked down before saying, "No, I can't." _Can't or won't?_ was the question in my head right now.

It seems Rosa had similar thoughts. "But Fire is the most elementary of black magic spells. As a summoner, you..." once again she was cut off by her coughing.

"Rosa, stop!" Cecil said somewhat forcefully. "You're not coming with us in that condition!"

But Rosa didn't seem deterred. "I'll be alright, really. And you'll need a white mage."

"Rosa."

"I promise I won't be a burden."

Edward then gave the dark knight a knowing look. "Rosa only wishes to be with you Cecil."

"Please, Cecil." Rosa said.

I could see why Cecil was worried. Rosa wasn't in the best condition at the moment and he didn't want her to get hurt. However, I could also see that she didn't want to lose him again, and wants to help him despite the danger she'd put herself in. I remember wanting to help Master Kaname fight off whatever crisis he was sensing, but he told me to evacuate the citizens instead, and despite my reluctance I obeyed. And look what happened to him,... when I wasn't there to support him. Whether or not my presence would've made any difference (heck, knowing how easily Xehanort put me down, it probably wouldn't have), it nonetheless filled me with a sense of guilt that I wasn't there for him. It seems Rosa wants to be there for Cecil through thick and thin.

With that in mind, I decided to put my own two cents. "If it makes you feel better, we'll all keep an eye on her and make sure she stays safe."

Cecil then sighed in defeat. "Alright. We'll go together. It's getting late anyways, we could all use some sleep. So make sure you get plenty of rest tonight."

The white mage looked at her knight in...um...dim armor happily. "Cecil... Thank you."

"You're all welcome to stay for the night," the old man tells us. "You must be exhausted."

"Thank you." Replied Cecil.

That's when the old woman walked into the room. "But before you all turn in, allow me to prepare a meal for you all. You must be hungry after all that's happened. And a good meal might be just what the young lady needs to improve her condition."

"Now that sounds like a good idea," I say.

We all had our meal while we recounted all that had happened up until now. From Cecil's journey to mist, to Tellah's assistance through the waterway, to our encounter with the man in the black coat, to the fall of Damcyan, and to retrieving the Sand Pearl. I had naturally avoided telling them my story aside from my home being destroyed and my master being killed. I still wasn't ready to talk about my life. I had notice that Rydia had become awfully reclusive since that conversation about the Fire spell. I could tell that was really bugging her. I was really concerned for her. I chose not to pry though, figuring we'd cross that bridge once we get to Mount Hobs.

After the meal, Cecil and I sat outside for a bit while everyone else decide to retire for the night.

"I hope I'm not making a mistake, bringing Rosa along," the dark knight said.

"She'll be fine," I assured. "She seems to already be doing better. I'm sure by morning she'll be fit as a fiddle. Besides, we could use all the help we can get."

"I know, but still. I don't want her getting hurt."

"Clearly, she doesn't want you to get hurt either. She said herself that she thought she lost you. And she wasn't there for you when the earthquake happened. She doesn't want that to happen again. That's why she wants be there for you and support you however way she can. She would probably feel guilty if you died and she wasn't there to help you. Believe me, I know that feeling. She obviously cares a lot for you. More than you realize."

Cecil sighed. "Believe me, you have know idea how much I know that. I mean, how could I not when she outright told me she loved me?"

Not gonna lie, I was surprised to hear that she had already confessed to him. "Really? How'd you answer her?"

He looked down in sorrow. "I didn't answer her all."

"W-why not?"

He then gaze and his dark armor clad hand. "Take a guess."

I almost immediately knew exactly what he was referring to. "I see. It's that whole dark knight thing again, right?"

He nodded. "Regardless of how I may feel about her or vice versa, never once have I believed we could be together as long as I was a dark knight."

I sighed at him. "Man, you really shouldn't let something like that stop you. I mean, she doesn't seem to care about that little detail. So why should that matter?"

"I just...don't want to hurt her."

I scoffed. "I'm no expert at this sort of thing, but I've heard that sometimes not replying at all can hurt more than a flat out rejection."

"You know what I'm really talking about. If my darkness ever brought harm to her,...I couldn't live with myself. Whether she likes it or not, she's probably better off without me."

"Hey, what did I say about selling yourself short?" I sighed again seeing that he was still unsure of himself. I did a bit of thinking before saying, "Here's some food for thought. Don't you think the risks of being a dark knight are the reason she became a white mage in the first place. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if all she ever wanted to do was help the one she loved, especially knowing the dangers you face. Rosa knows the risks she's taking, but doesn't care. She just wants to be with you. She seems like the kind of person who would love and support you no matter what happens, even if..." it took a second for me to figure out the best way to word this, "even if your darkness betrays you."

"You may be right about that." He still sounded unsure but he seemed to understand what I was saying. That was enough for now.

"Just think on it, that's all I ask." I then stood up. "Well, we should probably turn in. It's gonna be long journey."

"Yeah." Cecil should up. We had just open the with we saw Edward standing right in front of it. "Oh, Edward. What's going on?"

"Apologies," the prince said. "I couldn't really sleep so I thought I'd take a quick stroll." The look in his eyes said it all. He was still thinking about Anna. I couldn't blame him.

Cecil nodded. "Alright, but don't take to long. We'll need all the rest we can get."

With that Edward just headed out. I had half a mind to go with him, but then I thought he probably needed some time alone. After all, we kind just rushed him into helping us save Rosa right after he lost his parents and his lover, so we didn't really give him much time to grieve. I was probably for the best that we give him all the time we could, and I had a feeling Cecil thought the same thing. We then went inside to rest with the others. As I said, it was going to be a long journey.

* * *

 **A/N: Whether or not Odin or the King of Baron are dark knights in canon is really up for debate, but I'd like to think they are. In the king's case, it just makes sense as to why Cecil became a dark knight in the first place. As for Odin, well it just seems fitting to me for reasons that'll be covered later. For the record, I will be covering the eidolon side quests in this story.**

 **I also thought it'd be good to address Cecil's insecurities regarding his role as a dark knight. Both his fears of what he could become, and how said fears affect his relationship with Rosa.**

 **Sorry if the Antlion fight wasn't all that good. This was the one thing on this chapter I was stuck on. I was really lacking in inspiration for that one. All the boss fight had was its counterattack mechanic, which I couldn't figure out how to implement into this story. All in all, the Antlion didn't have a lot going for it that I could work with.**

 **And yes, I'm basically skipping Edward's solo fight and meeting with Anna's spirit. I mean, it's meant to be Edward's moment of development, and to have someone else present when he talks to the spirit of his dead lover wouldn't make sense. Plus Sasuke isn't the type to invade his privacy, especially when he thinks he needs a little time to himself.**


	6. Mt Hobs

**A/N: You know... Is it bad that I'm actually more invested in Kris's KH Universe than I am with my own stories? I mean, Kris is a great writer, and I find her stories have a lot of potential. While I on the other hand am not that confident with my own stories. I find myself more interested in helping Kris out with her universe than I am writing my own.**

 **I mean, I recently wrote a 2 part story for her, _Incomprehensible Feelings_ , and already I have yet another story idea for her universe. Much like all the others it'll involve Sasuke in some way, however like _Incomprehensible Feeling_ , Sasuke himself is not going to be the focus. And also I was thinking it would be a 4-5 parter this time around. What this story will be about, I won't say here, but I'm probably gonna let Kris in on it soon after this is posted.**

 **But anyway, enough rambling about other stories, and let get back to this one, shall we?**

* * *

 **Mt. Hobs**

* * *

 _Patria: "So Cecil is pretty much forced to use darkness because it's all he knows how to do?"_

 _Pith: "And because of that he feels like he can't be with the love of his life? How tragic."_

 _Sora: "I can understand his concerns. But you're right, he really shouldn't let that stop him from taking a chance with Rosa."_

 _Kairi: "I really hope those two do get together. I'd really hate for Rosa's confession to remain unanswered."_

 _Sasuke: "Not to worry. Things will start looking up for those two later._

* * *

 _"Wh-what happening to me? Am I... falling? It's so dark. It's so cold. No warmth. No light. Is this what true darkness feels like? Is this...the end for me?"_

 ** _"No! It is not your time, young knight."_**

 _"Huh?"_

 ** _"The darkness shall not have you!"_**

I awoke with a slight start. I've been having that same dream every night for the past few days. I would be falling in some dark void, with no way to escape, only to hear a booming voice calling me 'young knight' and declaring that I wouldn't fall to darkness, followed by something seeming to literally slice a hole in the darkness and a bright light would show, and then I'd wake up. I didn't know why I was having that dream at first, but that morning I began to think.

I remembered having that dream just before waking up on this world for the first time. But now I was wondering if that was really a dream at all. Truth be told, I wasn't sure what had happened to me after being grabbed by the neck by Xehanort, who told me that he would let the darkness have me. But here I was, on another world instead of some dark void I would've expected. Which led me to wonder: Was that really a dream? Or did that actually happen? And if that actually happened...

 _... Did someone save me from the darkness? Is that why I'm here on this world instead of drowning in some void?_

I knew one thing for sure. If that really did happen, and this was the world I landed on, then odds are my savior was here somewhere, supported by the fact that the voice called me 'knight' and this world had knights in spades. But then the question is, why did they save me? Why did they bring here? If the source of that voice was here, I had to find it. I needed to know why they would save an outsider like me, and if possible, thank them. Of course, where to even start was the problem. And I still wasn't sure I should tell anyone I'm from another world.

I sighed at my dilemma. There was no use worrying about it. There were more pressing matters to attend to. Right now, I had no other options but to continue journeying with Cecil and the others. It's all I could do but hope that some kind of lead turns up eventually.

I was sitting against the wall, due to the elderly couple not having many beds to use. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes before turning to the girl sleeping on my shoulder again. I had noticed that Rydia had been a bit clingy as of late, which I personally found odd. I never really considered myself a very charismatic person. If it was my master I'd understand; despite his occasional goofy moments, some of which I admittedly found just embarrassing, he had a lot of charm that drew people to him. Me on the other hand, I may have had some praise by some members of the guard, but I don't think I was very popular to the general public. Either apprentices don't get popular until they're officially in the guard or I was just too distant to most other people to get noticed. Probably both.

Why this girl seemed so attached to me was beyond me. Not that I was complaining, having become attached to her as well. Still, the more time I spent with her the more I wondered what happened to little Kairi. Where was she? Was she alright? Was she even alive? Not a day goes by without those thoughts plaguing my mind at least once. I supposed, given the position I was in, dwelling on those thoughts wasn't getting me anywhere. Still whatever happened to Kairi, whatever Xehanort was planning to do with her, I did not want anything to happen to Rydia as well. Whatever trials were ahead of us on this journey, I wasn't going to let her suffer any more than she already had.

Soon, the emerald haired girl stirred before lifting her head and rubbed her eyes.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" I asked.

Rydia shook her head. "Not really."

I look around to see that Cecil, Edward, and Rosa were just waking up as well. Cecil turned to Rosa. "How are you feeling?"

Rosa smiled. "A lot better, thank you." It looked like she was doing well enough to travel with us.

"We should get going as soon as possible," said Edward. "The longer we wait, the bigger the chance we won't make it to Fabul in time."

So the five of us got our gear ready, including Rosa with her bow, a quiver of arrows, and a healing staff to amplify her white magic. After thanking the old couple for their hospitality, we then left Kaipo, hopped aboard the hovercraft, and set out.

We made a quick stop at Damcyan Castle, where Prince Edward told the advisors and other surviving citizens what he was doing. I had asked him why he's still coming with us despite having completed his task of helping us retrieve the Sand Pearl. His answer was that as the prince of Damcyan he had to personally vouch for the damage Golbez had done if we wanted High Master **(1)** Long of Fabul to take this threat seriously. Something told me that wasn't the only reason, but I decided not to pry.

Soon we had reached Mt. Hobs. We hopped off the hovercraft and walked through the path, only to quickly encounter the wall of thick ice that Edward mentioned. Just looking at this thing, I knew there was no way we were gonna get over that.

Rosa approached the wall, staring at it for a moment before turning back to us. "Rydia, can you try chanting the Fire spell?"

Rydia just looked down in silence.

"What's wrong?" asked Edward.

"Give it a try." Rosa spoke again. "I know you can do it."

"...No." the girl said, causing Rosa to give her a confused. "I...I hate fire."

Cecil then sighed. "I see what's going on... Her village was destroyed by fire when..." the dark knight just left it at that. We all knew what happened at that time. I couldn't help but face palm at myself. I had seen how she reacted around fire. Why didn't I think about that? Losing her mother followed by the burning of her village, something like that had to be traumatizing. It was no wonder she was afraid of fire, that she never used the Fire spell.

Rosa approached as she looked at the girl with sympathy. "Rydia, you're the only one who can melt this ice." Rydia did not speak. "If we can't get through to Fabul, more people will be in danger. Please, Rydia."

"Rydia..." Edward chimed in. "You've help me, you've helped Cecil, and Sasuke, and Rosa... You have the power to help many more people. Please, we need your strength and courage."

Cecil just stood there in silence. My guess was he felt that he didn't have a right to say anything since he was the one who did this to her in the first place.

Rydia stood there trembling as she put her fist up to her heart.

Finally I placed a hand on her shoulder as I decided tell her a lesson Master Kaname taught me. "I understand that you're afraid, Rydia. We all get scared at least once in our lives. We're all afraid of something, it's what makes us human. But without fear there can't be courage. Contrary to popular belief, to have courage does not mean to have no fear, it means to have the will to keep going in spite of fear." She finally look up at me. "It's okay to be afraid, but you cannot let fear control you. You cannot let fear stop you from doing what you feel is right. You just gotta believe in yourself. And don't forget, you have others to fall back on when things are hard. We're all here for you. We've got your back."

Rydia stared at me for a few seconds, before she got a determined expression. She took a few steps toward the ice wall, while the rest of us stepped behind her. The little summoner took a deep breath before she pointed her magic rod at the ice. I could sense an energy gathering around her before she finally shouted, " **Fire!** " And out of her rod, a ball of flame shoots at the wall. Upon impact I felt an intense wave of heat as the ice almost immediately began to melt. She shot a couple more fireballs which speed up the process until the wall of ice was no more.

The rest of us then gathered around the girl. "Rydia, that was incredible," said Edward.

Rydia could only let out a slightly tired giggle.

"I knew you could do it!" praised Rosa.

Cecil smiled as he put his hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, Rydia."

"See?" I said. "All you had to do was believe in yourself."

The girl then turned to me and hugged me. There she goes again. "Thank you, Sasuke."

I hugged back. "Anytime."

"Alright, everyone. Let's get going," Cecil declared.

And so we continued through the mountain pass, fighting a few monsters along the way. I learned that Rosa, on top of being a white mage, was also a skilled archer, able to shoot at a monster's weak spot with precision. Pretty useful, especially against those annoying flying enemy. It was good to see she could hold her own.

As we traversed the mountains, I couldn't help but look at our surroundings with a slight apprehension. Yeah, not gonna lie, this place was kinda putting on edge. Why was that, you ask? Well, I'll tell you a bit later. But for now, let's just say these mountains brought back a rather unpleasant memory.

Anyways, soon we came to what appeared to be the mountain peak and we were met with a rather gruesome sight. Dozens of monsters, mostly goblins with some skeletons, cockatrices and Bombs.

"What's going on?" asked Cecil.

We then spotted someone standing in the middle of the swarm. It was a man. He was almost completely bald aside from a few strands of blond hair tide into a braided tail. He also had a mustache. The man was shirtless, showing off quite a muscular physique and a red sun tattoo on this left shoulder. He wore a pair of leather bracers on his wrists, a yellow sash on his waist, red loose pants tied at the ankles, and brown flat shoes. He looked to be panting a little but ready for battle.

"That garb..." Edward said. "He's one of Fabul's monks."

"Guys!" exclaimed Rosa. "Look on the ground!" We looked around and saw dead monks all over the place. A gruesome sight indeed.

"Hyah!" the last monk standing cried out before he threw punches and kicks at some of the approaching goblins. He then grappled a couple and tossed them hard onto the ground. He was an impressive martial artist to be sure, but that was only half of what he was capable of. Suddenly a red spike protruded from each of his bracers. " **Fire Claw!** " he shouted as both spikes ignited in flames. He then slashed at the monsters with literal blazing fury. Soon the flames doused as the spikes retracted. He then shouted, " **Cyclone Kick!** " as he performed a flying spinning kick, sending several monsters flying.

"Well, he sure is one impressive fighter," I commented.

"Even so, we should probably help," said Rydia.

"Right," said Cecil. "Come on everyone!"

With that, we charged into the fray. Rydia casted a thunder spell on the nearest monsters around the monk. Rosa casted a cure spell on the monk as we gather around him, everyone standing with our backs to each other. "You look like you could use some help," I said to the monk.

"In this situation, I will take whatever help I can get," the monk replied.

Then we all set up for an all out attack. I launched a Sonic Wave , Rydia casted a fire spell (well she sure has gotten over it), Edward fired a few music bolts, Cecil used a Dark Wave, Rosa used an aero spell **(2)** and the monk seemed to gather energy into a spherical shape between his hands shouting, " **Qigong Wave!(3)** " before throwing it. Our combined attack decimated the majority of the enemies.

We then split off. I used Breakthrough to dash through a few goblins followed by use Counter Cutter on a couple Skeleton when they try to slice me with their swords. As I concentrated on my fights, I did hear Rydia summoning Mindflayers help her, Edward playing his Alluring Air to confuse some of the monsters, Rosa casting a Hold spell on some Bombs followed by Cecil slashing the paralyzed monsters, and the monk using his Cyclone Kick on some cockatrices.

It was going smoothly. Soon I spotted a Bomb monster that looked somewhat bigger then other Bombs. Thinking nothing of it I stabbed Moon Cutter into the large bomb... only for it to suddenly become a large bloated mass. I was then clobber by its swelling arm. Everyone else then gathering around me.

" **Cure!** " Rosa called as I felt the pain ease up.

"Good grief." said Edward. "A Mom Bomb."

"This is gonna be a pain," said Cecil.

"We should take it down before it explodes," said the monk.

"Right." Edward then played a melody. " **Hastemarch!** " Then a red magic energy surrounded everyone and it was like time was slowing down a bit for everything but us.

Cecil, the monk, and I then charged at the Mom Bomb while Rydia, Edward, and Rosa stayed back firing magic, music bolts and Arrows. The frontliners attacked, but it turns out to have tough skin. The monster struggled to keep up with our hastened state until it wore off.

The Mom Bomb then pounded the ground with a flaming punch, knocking us back. The monk then release blue claws from his bracers. " **Ice Claw!** " he shouted has the claws enveloped in cold mist. I had to admit, that monk's claws were quite impressive. It made me wonder how they worked. I admit, I have an eye for weapons. When I see a weapon that looks interesting, I get curious. I mean, I had seen a Keyblade once before coming to this world. But anyways, I made a mental note to ask him about them after this was over.

But it did give me an idea. I called to Rydia while holding my sword toward her. As if reading my mind, she casted a blizzard spell on my sword as I focused my energy. My sword glowed green and was enveloped in cold mist. I then readied my ice powered sword. " **Icebrand!** " I shouted as I dash to the monster along side the monk. We both struck the beast several times, leaving ice crystals on its body. They didn't last long though and they broke off as the Mom Bomb shove us away.

Cecil then charged at it. " **Shadowbringer!** " He performed two dark charged slashes followed by a stab. The monster's skin seems to crack slightly. But the beast then knocked the dark knight back.

The monk then stood up. "Hold it off for a bit!" He shouted as he put his hands together. I felt a strange energy gathering around him.

Not one to question, I just started to slash at the monster. Cecil followed along with me. Edward was also barraging it with is music bolts, and Rydia was pelting it with blizzard spell. Rosa manage to shoot an arrow in its eye, throwing it off balance.

Soon, the monk's energy bursted. I could feel him focusing it into his fist. He then dashed at the Mom Bomb, aiming for the crack Cecil made. " **Dragon Fist!** " He slammed his fist on the crack, causing it to expand.

The beast was blown back and was writhing in agony. Suddenly I felt massive energy building with it, as it started glowing.

"It's about to explode!" Edward shouted.

We all started to panic, until Rosa shouted, " **Protect!** " We were all then surrounded by a blue magic aura. The Mom Bomb exploded, the blast sending all of us back a few feet. I was amazed at the fact that we didn't take as much damage as we could've. All we got were some bruises and scratches. Rosa's protect spell sure worked wonders. As we started to get up from the ground. Rosa asked, "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah." I answered as I helped Rydia up. We looked over to were the Mom Bomb was, and to my surprise, six smaller Bomb had taken its place. "Oh you've gotta be kidding me!"

"Stay back!" Cecil shouted as he started gathering dark energy in his sword, a lot more that he probably should. " **Dark Wave!** " He managed to utterly obliterate them all. He then drop to one knee, put a hand on his chest, and started breathing heavily.

"Cecil!" Rosa rushed up to him, dropped to her knees and then put her hand on Cecil's chest while applying some healing magic. "Cecil, you really shouldn't push yourself with that dark power. You know its bad for your health."

"I'm sorry, Rosa," the dark knight replied. "I'll be more careful."

The white mage sighed. "Honestly, I wish you didn't have to use a power that just doesn't suit you." I had to agree. While my master's teachings had made me neutral when it comes to the use of dark powers, if it keeps do this to him, it cannot be good for him. "You worry me, Cecil."

"I'll be fine. But... I appreciate your concern."

"Oh, will you two just smooch already!" Rydia shouted teasingly. This caused the two to blush and look away from each other. She giggled at their reaction.

I chuckled too before deciding to join in. "Oh come now, Rydia. Let them go at their own pace."

"But they're moving too slow."

"You can't rush these things, you know."

"Alright, that's enough out of you two," Edward interjected, though I didn't miss the smirk he had on his face.

We then turned to the monk, who put his palms together and bowed to us. "You have my graditude. Yang is my name. Yang Fang Leiden. I came up here with my men for our training, but as you can see, all were killed by that swarm of marauding monsters..." he looked at the dead monks surrounding us in sorrow. "They were Fabul's finest monks..."

I bowed in respect. "You have our condolences, Sir."

The dark Knight then stepped forward. "My name is Cecil. We bring urgent news to Fabul."

"A villain named Golbez is using Baron's forces to seize the world's Crystals," said Rosa.

Yang crossed his arms in thought. "So he covets our Wind Crystal as well..."

"There is no doubt," Edward confirmed. "He easily seized the Crystal of Damcyan not too long ago."

The monk look down. "Then the odds are against us. The only monks left in the castle are just students. They stand little chance against Baron's soldiers."

Cecil think for a moment. "It is possible Golbez was behind this monster attacks that killed your men... and almost killed you."

Yang's eyes widen in realization. "To leave Fabul defenseless in our absence!?"

"It would suggest that they are already on their way to Fabul. We will fight with you, so let us hurry!"

The monk shook his head. "I am grateful. However, this matter does not concern you. This is Fabul's problem, not yours."

"But it is our problem too."

"...For I am the prince of Damcyan," said Edward, "whose Fire Crystal they stole."

"Rosa and I are citizens of Baron, who don't condone their actions," said Cecil. "And this girl, Rydia, is one of many victims of our kingdom's recent attacks..." he looked down in shame, "one which I personally led."

"...It's true," confirmed Rydia.

"I may not have much personal experience with Baron outside of defending an innocent child from their wrath over petty prejudice," I said, "but I'm always willing to help my friends whenever I can. And besides, I refuse sit around and do nothing while innocent people are being terrorized."

"I see... You all have your own reasons." Yang then nodded. "Then I humbly accept your assistance."

"Let's go." said Cecil. "We haven't much time."

"Fabul lies to the east of these mountains. I'll take you there."

And with that we continued through mountain pass. As we trekked, I took the opportunity to ask the monk. "Say Yang, can I ask you something?"

The monk turned to me. "What is it?"

"Well I was wondering about those claws of yours. The way you channeled element properties into them was quite impressive. I wanted to know how they worked."

Yang chuckled. "You are a curious squire, are you not?"

"What can I say? I may be more of a sword person myself, but I have an eye for unique weapons."

"Well I wouldn't say they are that unique, at least not in Fabul. We monk pride ourselves in our ability to fight hand-to-hand, but we do know that some situations require more of an edge." Yang then held up his arm and three claws came out of his bracer, each a different color: Red, blue, and white. "These claws are actually made from magic fangs."

"Magic fangs?"

"Yes. They come in three different colors, each with its own elemental properties: Red Fangs infused with fire, Blue Fangs with ice, and White Fangs with lightning. **(4)** They are hard to come by these days but some monsters may have at least one of these in their mouths. By channeling your spiritual energy into one of these fangs, you can unleash its power, either through a direct attack, like I normally use them, or in a large burst of raw magic power, like so." Yang retracted all but his white claw, and pointed it at a wide clearing. The claw glowed as a fusillade of lightning bolt rained down on the clearing. It was an impressive sight.

"Amazing!" I exclaimed. "And anyone can use them? Even if magic isn't their strong suit?"

"Correct," Yang answered. "However, they can only be used so many times before they need time to recharge. Thus it is best to use them sparingly. Furthermore, because it is raw magical energy, it is nigh impossible to control what it does once unleashed, so unless it is for a physical attack, you will have to be careful where you use it."

"I'll keep that in mind." Sure wouldn't want to risk unwanted collateral damage, or accidentally hurting others.

"I take it you have an interest in using them yourself."

I scratched the back of my head. "Yeah. I have been told I'm talented with a sword..."

"From what I saw for someone your age, I can see why."

"But I want to try and cover my weaknesses too. I've tried practicing magic before, but... well the only spell I was ever able to get to work was a meager aero spell, and that's it."

Yang then put his hand on his chin. "I notice earlier you were able to channel the girl's magic into your sword."

"Yeah, it's one of the abilities of my Moon Cutter." I gave him the explanation of what my sword could do. Including my recent discovery of it absorbing magic.

"I see. That does sound useful. Magic fangs could also work along side your sword's power."

I nodded. "I know I can't always count on a mage being there to assist me."

"A wise consideration." The monk then thought for a moment. "Tell you what, when we get to Fabul, I will see if there are any spare fangs that you can use."

"Oh! You don't have to do that."

"I insist. It is the least I could do for your assistance."

"Well, okay then. Thanks." I'm usually very hesitant to excepting gifts. But when said gift would help me in the long run, who was I to say no.

We were nearing the end of the mountain path when suddenly we hit one last roadblock. In a cloud of darkness, that man in the black coat appeared before us.

"You again!" I shouted.

"Yo!" The man greeted. "How's it going!?"

"You know this man?" asked Yang.

"Not exactly," I answered. "Ran into him once and he caused us trouble."

Cecil stepped forward. "We don't have time to deal with you! Get out of our way!"

"Now, do you think that's polite? Shutting me down like that?" The figure said arrogantly.

Rydia had balled her fist. "After you sent a bunch of weird white monsters on us, can you blame us!?"

"I suppose not."

"Who are you?" asked Rosa. "Are you with Golbez?"

"Well... I wouldn't say I'm actually _with_ tall, dark, and intimidating." He said. "I got my own interests here. I'm not interested in petty jewelry like him. Though I did make an offer to him, free of charge."

"What kind of offer?" asked Edward.

The man just chuckled. "You'll just have to find out at that monk kingdom. That is assuming you all make it there in one piece."

I stepped forward. "And what are you gonna do about it? Send more of those...Nobodies at us?"

"No no! I had a better idea. But first, I'd like to ask you something...Sasuke Yamato Kazekiri." Addressing me by my full name? How much exactly did this guy know about me. The man then started pacing to the left and right. "Take a good look around. Tell me, what does this place remind you of?"

"Wh-what do mean?"

"Oh ho. I think you know what I'm talking about. I bet these mountains reminds you of a certain place where you and your friends went off on a little treasure hunt. A treasure hunt you yourself had second thoughts about, but didn't even try to stop the others. And it almost got you all killed. And to think you were the most reasonable of the group."

It was at that moment that this guy's knowledge of me really started to tick me off. I gripped the handle of my sword. "That's it! Who are you!? And how do you know so much!?"

"I got a better question for you." He then snapped his fingers and suddenly we heard an echoing explosion. "Will you actually die this time, like you were supposed to on that treasure hunt!?" And in that instant, the man disappeared into the darkness.

I didn't even have time to process what he said at that moment. I was too busy feeling the ground beneath us shake like crazy. We all then looked up the slope to see a lot, and I mean A LOT, of boulders tumbling down toward us. It was a rockslide!

"RUN FOR IT!" shouted Cecil.

Wasting no time we all ran down the mountain as fast as we could. A few rocks manage to pass us on the way down. We had got to the bottom of the hill where going left quickly would get us to safety.

However Rydia's sudden scream caught my attention. I look back before skidding to a halt as I saw the girl standing there pulling on her leg. I quickly realized that her foot got stuck in a hole. And I caught sight of some boulders heading right to her.

"RYDIA!" I shouted as I dashed over to her without a second thought.

There was no way I was going to let her get crushed by rocks. However seeing how close those rocks were, I had very little time to save her. So little in fact that by the time I was a few feet away from her, I only had a split second to do something. And so I did the only thing I could. I leapt over to her and tackled her to the ground, making sure my body was covering her from the rocks.

" **PROTECT!** " I heard a voice echo.

The last thing I remember was feeling a sharp pain in the back of my head...

...before I blacked out.

* * *

 **A/N: And cliffhanger! See? Even I can do those.**

 **As you can see, it's clear that Sasuke's presence on this world was no accident. Someone managed to save him from the darkness Xehanort sent him in. Who saved him? You'll find out later. But feel free to guess.**

 **Yeah much like the Antlion, the Mom Bomb really didn't have much going for it. I was able to compensate (if only a tiny bit) by extending the swarm of lesser monsters.**

 **And of course, this is where Sasuke gets the idea of using Red, Blue, and White Fangs in his fighting style. Also decided to mention that he can use wind magic, if only to a small extent.**

 **Anyone care to guess what "offer" the man in the black coat gave to Golbez?**

* * *

 **Notes:**

 **(1) Considering Fabul is a kingdom run by monks, I thought calling its ruler a king would be unfitting. So I changed it to High Master instead.**

 **(2) In few FF games, Aero and its upgrades are considered White Magic. So I thought why not add that to Rosa's repertoire. Granted this kinda clashes with Tornado being considered Black Magic in FFIV, but eh, that's not even a spell I'm planning on being used... by the party at least.**

 **(3) Thank Bravely Default for giving me the idea to give Yang this monk class ability.**

 **(4) I'm aware that in FFIV, Blue Fangs are lightning and White Fangs are ice. But in some other FF games its the other way around. Plus I thought the color-element pairs would make more sense this way in a Kingdom Hearts universe.**


End file.
